


All Bonds Of Fellowship

by NerdWItch



Series: Castaways [3]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Boromir Lives, Council of Elrond, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fellowship of the Ring, Hobbits, M/M, Major Character Undeath, Modern Girl in Middle Earth, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Other, Protective Gimli, Return of the King, Rewrite, Romance, Stubborn Dwarves, Tenth Walker, The Lord of the Rings References, The Two Towers, War of the Ring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:15:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 118,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22991584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdWItch/pseuds/NerdWItch
Summary: (Sequel to "Castaways" and "Melamar") One year after their abrupt departure, Maggie and Riley are back in Middle-Earth and war is beckoning! Although this time, they're not alone and things have changed. Riley and Maggie are no longer close. And how will Theo, now a grown man, react to the sudden return of his mother? Will their return to Middle-Earth effect the quest of the Fellowship?
Series: Castaways [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589563
Comments: 58
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Well here we are again. If you like the adventures of Maggie and Riley, here’s another one for you. This takes place during the LOTR and follows the events of “Castaway” and “Melamar”. If you’re new to this series and simply like additional-walker and MGME fics, you don’t really need to have read the prequels to get into this one. As I’ve mentioned before, this is a rewrite of an old fic from 2012-2013. If you’re wondering why I’m able to put them up so quickly, it’s because a lot of this is pre-written and I’m filling out the blanks and hopefully making some improvement on what was bloody awful writing. As always, I aim to make my characters as believable and relatable as possible. I try to stray away from Mary-Sues as much as I can.
> 
> Anyway, without further ado. Let us begin the journey. This is the big one :)

**ONE**

  
  


One year. 

It had been one whole year since Margaret Spencer realised they were no longer in Rivendell. Three-hundred and sixty-five days since she had seen her beautiful baby boy or kissed both of her partners and told them how much she loved them. A whole year since Maggie fell apart and was forced to get used to life in a world she was sure she had left behind for good. She’d been at peace with that choice even though she knew that meant having her friends and mother still on Earth. Perhaps it was a selfish one but Maggie knew her heart and soul belonged in Middle-Earth. After all, it was her father’s birthplace and it was equally a part of her. She didn’t want Earth to be her home anymore. She had a home in Rivendell and a son who needed her. Theo had already lost his father before he was even born and now he had to grow up without his mother. Maggie knew that Theo had people around him who cared for him and who would raise him as their own son. Fili and Elrond would never let harm come to him and she hoped that no matter what happened, they would tell Theo that she never wanted to leave him. 

When Maggie and Riley got back to their world, it turned out their speculations about time were right. They got back to almost exactly the same time and place where they had first disappeared. A stormy night out in a forest in the Brecon Beacons. They made it back to the small holiday cottage they had been renting with their relatives and not a single thing had changed. Their mother, Susan, made a comment about how they’d been a little concerned about their whereabouts because of the weather but then carried on with the rest of the evening as if nothing was different. 

Maggie spent that whole night in complete shock, not knowing what to say or how to act around anyone. A part of her wished it was just an incredibly vivid dream and that she would wake up safely in the arms of Fili or Elrond. It was Riley who told his sister that he’d known for some time that they might get sent back. At first, Maggie refused to believe the prophecy and tried arguing that they’d proven that fate could be changed. She wanted to believe it was all a dream, but deep down, she knew it wasn’t. So, when she went to bed that night, she cried until exhaustion made her fall asleep. 

Eventually, both Maggie and Riley had to get used to living in their world again, without their loved ones. As well as without each other. For the first few weeks, Riley figured his sister just needed some space to process things. During those first few weeks, the reverse culture shock was a real struggle. They were both used to life without modern technology, pollution or other things that made life different from Middle-Earth. Those weeks soon turned into months and Maggie still stayed angry with Riley. No matter how much he tried to reconcile with her and explain his reasoning for keeping the prophecy from her, she wouldn’t listen. Instead, Maggie returned to her teaching job, though she did not find the same joy in it as she once had. Riley set to finally complete his PhD in Science Communication but nothing stayed the same. 

Riley understood why Maggie was angry and a part of him couldn’t blame her. He had purposely withheld information from her and while to Riley, his intentions were good, Maggie thought they were selfish. Perhaps it was a bit of both. He thought that if he ignored the words of the prophecy, both of them could have what they wanted and maybe the Valar would forget their words. Riley could live his life with Bilbo, whether it was in Rivendell or in the Shire. 

Maggie could have her life raising Theo with both Elrond and Fili by her side. Either way, one day she would undoubtedly become queens. Perhaps even of both Erebor and Rivendell if Fili ever chose to take his rightful place as king. Of course Riley felt guilt and if he wondered if Gandalf was right and keeping the prophecy from his sister was the wrong choice. Either way, it didn’t matter now because he’d made his choice and was forced to live with the consequences of his selfish actions. In the process, he’d lost his sister who by all accounts, was his best friend in the whole world. 

It seemed the prophecy also meant that their dad stayed behind in Middle-Earth, which made sense to Riley. Even if bringing people back from the dead wasn’t all too unheard of in Middle-Earth, it would be difficult to explain on Earth and not even the Valar had the power to change established timelines in their world because it was not their domain. In some ways, the fact that Amandil was still in Middle-Earth was a relief to Riley because it meant a part of them were still there too. He knew his father would help raise Theo and hopefully keep an eye on Bilbo as well. 

The quarrel between Riley and Maggie hadn’t gone by unnoticed. Their mum sensed the friction between them and they stayed civil while in her presence. They both loved their mother and didn’t want her to suffer on their behalf. Riley foolishly thought his sister would eventually cast her fury aside and bury the hatchet, but Maggie remained angry. Eventually, Riley began to feel annoyed because he had tried everything to make it up to her and it wasn’t as if she was the only one suffering. Their friends also noticed the feud and sometimes questioned them about why they were not speaking with each other. However, both Maggie and Riley had a silent agreement to not divulge any information. It wasn’t as if anyone would believe them anyway. 

Above all, Riley missed Bilbo more than his heart could stand. He kept his wedding ring, of course, although he changed finger so that people would not ask questions. The oldest Spencer would give anything to wake up next to his husband again and to feel his warm breath against his skin, kissing his lips and inhaling his scent. RIley often lay awake at night, wondering how Bilbo was feeling and whatever he must be thinking about their disappearance. Would he ever forgive Riley for just leaving him behind. 

Still, in the back of Riley’s mind, he couldn’t help but to think about one part of the prophecy they had managed to decipher. About five aiding the fight of nine. He guessed what it meant of course. That one day, when the time was right, they would return to Middle-Earth but given how haphazard the Valar were in their decision-making, there was no telling when that might be. Truthfully, Riley was angry with them and even though he wasn’t a religious man, there were a few nights when he’d spoken to the skies and cursed in their names. No doubt they heard him, where they resided and still they would not answer. 

At least not when you expected it. 

* * *

"We're sad you know.” Riley sighed “It is a Bank Holiday weekend and practically everyone in town are out getting merry, Meanwhile we are spending out Friday night indoors, doing work and playing a game of Scrabble like a bunch of seniors.” 

"Correction," said Felix " _ You're _ doing work, we're playing scrabble and Nat is out picking up the takeaway.” 

Riley peered over the Scrabble board and raised an eyebrow at his old friend. "Mate, 'skedaddle' isn't a proper word. How on earth did you get a Uni degree?" Riley sassed. It had started out as a simple friendly game quickly turned competitive, as was always the case between Riley and Felix. It was indeed a Friday night and they were sitting in the lounge of a house owned by Natalie’s parents who were away for the weekend. 

"It counts as a word if you use it as a word," Felix protested "Speaking of Maggie, are guys still fighting? She has been a lot quieter than usual lately. Any idea why?” 

Yeah, Riley did know why but it wasn't exactly something that could just be brought up for discussion. 

"Riley? Hello? Earth to Riley?" It was Laura who spoke now and waved her hands in front of their friend who snapped back out of his thoughts.

"Sorry," Riley apologised “I’m sure Maggie’s fine.” 

"You two lately, honestly." 

Riley was about to reply when the sound of a door unlocking reached his ears. He assumed it was Natalie coming back with the food, which it was. What he didn’t expect was to also see his sister. Maggie seemed just as surprised to see him, because she stood frozen in the doorway just staring and Riley knew at once this whole evening was a set up. 

“What’s  _ he  _ doing here?” Maggie asked sharply. 

“ _ We _ invited him,.” Laura replied calmly. “Because this has to stop.” 

Riley saw Maggie rolling her eyes and pouted, like a small child who had been called out doing something she wasn’t supposed to. Riley couldn’t say he was impressed by this double cross either and shot Felix an annoyed glance. He knew his friends had the best intentions at heart, but there was no way they would understand what was going on even if they tried explaining it. 

“Yeah?” Riley crossed his arms defensively. “I’m not the pigheaded one in this case.” 

“Oh yeah, you’re brother of the year.” Maggie spat back. 

Riley felt his blood pumping as he grew more annoyed with his sister. His friends were right in one way, this really had gone too long. However, he wasn’t going to yield because he was doing nothing wrong. Maggie was the stubborn one in this case. 

“Of course, I forgot Margaret Spencer always has to be perfect.” Riley said “Everyone else gets the blame while she gets treated like a princess.” 

“ _ ENOUGH _ !” 

As Natalie bellowed at the top of her lungs, the window outside blew open a window and the electricity flickered. The girls shrieked and Riley saw that even Felix looked a bit nervous.

"When did England turn into Wales?" Nat wondered "It's practically a monsoon out there!"

The five of them; Maggie, Riley, Natalie, Felix and Laura had been friends for a long time; by chance really. Their families knew each other, partly from University, as well as from childhood. Even though they weren’t related by blood, Maggie and Riley always saw the other three as family and they’d had a lot of fun together growing up. So much that they even went to the same University even though it was a year or two between them. As teenager, Riley remembered several Lord of the Rings marathons in the attic of his and Maggie’s childhood homes. During their time in Middle-Earth, Riley often wished he could have shared it with Felix, Nat and Laura and he hated keeping it a secret from them. There was no doubt in his mind that if he told them, he would be committed immediately. 

"Geesh; Loki must've escaped and pissed off Thor." Nat joked but then there was a second squall, much louder and a hell of a lot closer than the previous. Laura counted the seconds and when the next one after that came it was right about them and it cut out all the power in the house. The girls weren't the only ones that screamed because it came so unexpectedly.

"Okay, this cannot be normal." Felix said and Riley had to agree. Then suddenly there it was, as if out of nowhere; a bright white flash of light; which at first he assumed was lightning. Next thing Riley knew he was lying outside somewhere where it was damp and cold. He felt dizzy and somewhat nauseated from the sudden change in scenery. 

"Riley will you get your bloody foot out of my face!" ( **Natalie** )

"Yeah, I will once someone helps me get the hell off Felix." ( **Riley)**

"Let me just get out of this." ( **Maggie)**

"Dude, you're fucking heavy!" ( **Felix)**

"I'm sorry but you guys aren't the ones with two football players lying all over you."  **Laura** It took the five of them a good few minutes to get themselves sorted and up on their feet. Riley, Maggie, Felix, Natalie and Laura were all equally dirty and all equally confused as to what had just happened – and so were the four unfamiliar faces staring right back at them.

"I swear, this is a déjà vu all over again." Riley said, mostly to Maggie as he was referring to their arrival in Middle-Earth when he had first encountered Thorin and Company in Trollshaw nearly two years ago. 

The first thing Riley noticed was how familiar their surroundings were. There was no doubt in his mind that they were back in Middle-Earth. By the looks of it somewhere on the plains between the Shire and Rivendell. He immediately recognised the terrain from his journey finding the Dunedain rangers. 

The second thing Riley noticed, was that they were not alone. There were two men in front of them. Besides the two men, stood three hobbits. All of them staring at the strange group who had appeared seemingly from out of nowhere. One of the men looked familiar with his dark hair and grey eyes. The second man was vaguely familiar but while the other man was human, this one was slightly younger and his ears were a bit more pointed. Riley turned to his sister who just stared in confusion and there was a strange silence between all of them until Maggie spoke. 

“Thorin?” she asked quietly 

_ No, it’s not Thorin,  _ Riley realised as his heart skipped several beats. 

“Beg your pardon, my lady?” the young man asked “If you mean Thorin Oakenshield, I am sorry to say that I am not him. I am his son, Theo.” 

“Holy shit….” Riley whispered

Then, the second man stepped forward and spoke. 

“Riley?” he asked and then turned to Maggie. “Maggie?”

* * *

Aragorn thought for a moment that surely his eyes must be deceiving him for the woman and man standing in front of him could surely not be the very same Maggie and Riley who had lived with him in Imladris as a child. Was it really the same woman who had told him bedtime stories of strange lands behind wardrobes? The same Maggie who had fallen in love with his foster father, Lord Elrond and Theo’s cousin Fili. Yet his eyes would know their faces anywhere and while long years had passed since he last saw them, they still had not aged a day. Theo had only been a young baby when they disappeared and all his life, Aragorn and their family told him stories about his mother and his uncle. The Ranger couldn’t actually believe that Maggie and Riley were standing in front of them after all this time. 

"Estel?" Maggie asked a hint of recognition in her voice. 

"By the Valar, tell me this isn't some foul trick played on my mind." How could they not have aged a single day while he had grown an old man, now 87 years old?

"Oh my God it is you!" Without a moment’s hesitation, Maggie threw her arms around him and Aragorn embraced her heartily. To him, Maggie was equally his family as much as Elladan and Elrohir were his brothers. Aragorn then turned around to Riley whom in his usual manner stood with arms crossed, pretending to be unimpressed.

"What? I'm not getting a hug?” he asked “Dude, I practically babysat you for months."

Aragorn smiled and then greeted him with an equally warm hug. It was good, thought the ranger, to see them again. But then he became curious as to why they were there now.

"I can't believe it's really you and that we're really back?" Then Maggie took a closer look at their surroundings which essentially was in the middle of nowhere and then at four hobbits in their company. "And…what the hell are you doing out here?"

"Theo and I are taking these hobbits to Rivendell. Middle-Earth has changed since last time you were here. Frodo, the fourth hobbit, has been given a dangerous task and was wounded on Weathertop. He has been taken to Rivendell for healing; we are to see that they get there safely."  _ Whoa, reality check _ , Riley thought,  _ it must be the war of the ring. _

Riley watched as Maggie turned around to Theo, who hadn’t said a word. He could see that it was his nephew now. He shared Thorin’s raven curls and the slightly pointed ears were certainly but his eyes and cheeks were Maggie’s. It seemed he had inherited the dwarrow genes for ageing, because while sixty years had passed in Middle-Earth, Theo only looked as though he was in his mid-twenties. Maggie didn’t seem to know what to say or how to act, but that wasn’t strange and for a moment, there was an awkward silence until she stepped forward. As she did though, Theo took a couple of steps back. 

“Theo, it’s alright.” Maggie said calmly “I’m ---” 

“I know who you are.” Theo interrupted “I have known my whole life.” 

"So, uh not to interrupt and break up this whole reunion thing, but uhm, is anyone going to tell us exactly what in the  _ fuck _ is going on?" It was Laura who'd spoke up. For a moment, both Riley and Maggie had forgotten their three friends were with them.

"And who, prey tell, are your friends?" Aragorn asked 

"Yeah, that's kind of a long story."

* * *

"Okay, let me get this straight." Felix said. Aragorn had decided that they could all explain everything whilst walking. So Maggie and Riley had told them the story of how they had arrived in Rivendell the first time and of their adventures there and then how they had come to be there now. 

"A year ago you two went hiking in the Brecon Beacons of all places and then  _ somehow  _ ended up in Middle-Earth. There, you joined the Company of Thorin Oakenshield and actually reclaimed Erebor. Then, Maggie got pregnant with this one (he gestured at Theo) and ended up living in Rivendell for over a year with that one (he was pointing at Aragorn), when he was a child?"

"Pretty much yeah." Maggie said “There was a dragon and everything.” 

"Okay, I love you guys to bits but you're both clinically insane There is no such thing as Middle-Earth. It is a fictional place from a made up story."

"Of course Middle-Earth is real," said Samwise Gamgee, who wasn't sure he understood anything of what was happening at that moment. "We're all here aren't we? I know I'm real." he was worried about Frodo and wished they would hurry about and get to the elves already.

"Felix, calm down mate." Riley told his friend "I know this is a lot to wrap your head around, trust me first time around I didn't believe it either and I woke up to a company of dwarves points swords at my throat. This is just Estel…I mean Aragorn. Jesus, this is going to get confusing."

"Estel?" Merry said questioningly and looked at Aragorn

"It was my name in Rivendell as a child." Aragorn replied. “It means hope.” 

"Okay," Nat said "So let's just say for argument’s sake, this is all real and not some extremely, very bizarre dream we're all having at the same time, how did we get here?"

"That is something I also wish to know.” Aragorn said “Last time you two were here, it was for a reason. I have no doubt in my mind that this time is no different but, you will find that things have not stayed the same. Nor people."

"How long has it been and you know, how old are  _ you _ ?" Maggie asked, almost fearing the answer.

"It has been sixty years since you left; I turned 87 some weeks ago."

At this remark, Felix passed out.

"This is going to be a  _ long _ day." Laura realised 

  
  
  
  



	2. Many Reunions

**A/N:** Here we are with chapter two! These updates are going to be a lot slower than usual. I am aiming for once or twice a week at the most. I’m swamped at work and right now I’m flu-ridden so if this chapter lacks sense, I would blame Tylenol day/night. 

There’s some discussion in the movies vs books regarding the ageing of Bilbo. The books state that he hasn’t aged much at all, but in the movies he clearly aged a lot since taking off the ring. I’ve decided to keep it in the middle. 

  
The bits in italics are either thoughts or memories. 

Finally, there’s a lot of things happening in this chapter, lots of dialogue and a lot of emotion. 

**_*content warning* Mild adult themes._ **

* * *

**_Two_ **

_Many Reunions_

Maggie watched the stars that night, unable to fall asleep. During her time in Rivendell, she was always amazed by how different the night sky was in Middle-Earth. Sometimes, during rare private moments, Elrond would take her out and they would lie on the grass. There, he would teach her about the constellations in the sky and the stories behind them. Some of them, Maggie learned, were not too dissimilar from constellations in the Earth night sky. For example, there was a constellation similar to Orion, that told the story of a swordsman who was sent out to fight Morgoth. She’d always known stars were sacred to elves but she’d never understood why until she heard the tone in Elrond’s voice when he told her their origin. 

According to Aragorn, they would reach Rivendell within the next day. They were all glad for the break after a few hours of trekking, especially Nat, Felix and Laura who were unused to the terrain. Even Maggie felt tired when they finally stopped for the night, in a woodland area not too far from Trollshadow. It was an awkward trek to say the least, Maggie and Riley both conversed with Aragorn while Theo stayed in the back with Felix, Nat and Laura who exchanged brief words with him. Mostly, the other three were too busy trying to take in everything that was happening and eventually, Maggie it seemed they accepted that this was not a dream. The girls handled everything fine and Nat was especially filled with questions. She had always been the more inquisitive of the group. That’s why it came as no surprise to Maggie when her friend announced she had applied to the police academy a few years earlier. In the past year, she’d been preparing to take the sergeant’s exam. Felix was the one who struggled the most with this new reality, which was strange to Maggie because just like her and Riley, he had grown up with reading Tolkien as well as CS Lewis. 

Felix wasn’t the only quiet one in the odd group. Maggie noticed how Theo took a step back and didn’t even approach them. Whenever Maggie caught his eyes, he looked away or spoke to Aragorn. In the past year of being bak in their world, Maggie had almost accepted that she would never see her son again. Now, her son was a grown man and at least sixty years old even though he only seemed to be around her own age, which was a weird thing to accept. It meant the dwarves had been right in their speculations about what genes he would inherit and it seemed like the dwarrow ageing was one of them. Truthfully, Maggie wasn’t sure how to handle suddenly having Theo in her life again. A part of her was obviously thrilled to see that her son was alive and seemed to be doing well, all things considered. Another part of her was filled with pain and guilt and wondered what he must be feeling. Theo had never known his father and his mother had simply disappeared from his life, without so much of an explanation. Maggie couldn’t help but wonder if he perhaps hated her. 

Almost immediately, the hobbits set out to start dinner and with little effort, Sam cooked a delicious stew, using herbs picked from his very own garden. Merry and Pippin bombarded Riley with a million questions, just like Fili and Kili had once done when they first met the Company. Eventually, the hobbits fell asleep and so did Laura, Nat and Felix. Riley stayed up for a while talking with Aragorn until he too drifted into a deep sleep. Maggie was also tired but after an hour of twisting and turning she gave up and turned her gaze to the stars. As she sat up and hugged her knees, the surrealism of it all stirred a bit of nausea within her and she inhaled a few deep breaths. Fili was always so good at calming her down whenever she felt anxious or panicked. Maggie couldn’t even begin to explain how much she missed waking up to his strong arms wrapped around her. Feeling his breath against her skin while his beard rubbed against her neck. Those sacred intimate moments in the moment before Theo awoke were some of her favourites. 

Maggie wondered what Fili was doing now. Did he still live in Rivendell or had he moved to Erebor? Had he perhaps even taken his place as King Under the Mountain, like Thorin wanted him to. Did he perhaps also hate her for leaving him? Had he maybe even found someone new after all this time? The thought of Fili moving on with someone else was almost too much for Maggie to stand, but was it unreasonable? Sixty years, even for a dwarf, was a long time. She couldn’t possibly expect him to remain faithful to her after all that time. Did he not also deserve to be happy, even if it was not with her? Her departure must have caused so many people a lot of grief and heartache. 

“That constellation is _Valacirca_ ,” said Aragorn as he sat down next to Maggie. He lit a pipe and inhaled its tobacco slowly, before exhaling rings of smoke. 

Seeing Aragorn as a man, after knowing him for so long as Estel was another shock to her system. Obviously, Maggie and Riley both knew that Estel would eventually grow up to be Aragorn, but to them that fact was so far in the future. Seeing the transformation within a year, was nothing short of bizarre. Yet, there he sat beside her, with his brown curly hair and equally brown beard. He wore clothes suited to a ranger of the north. 

“It is also known to the dwarves as “Durin’s Crown”, the seven stars that Durin saw in the Mirromere.” Aragorn continued. “Fili sometimes told me about the stars when I was young. I recall being surprised, because I wondered what dwarves could know of the stars when they spent so much time underground.” 

“Fee always did like the sky.” Maggie remembered. “I used to think it was strange, but then Fili and Kili spent most of their lives living out of a mountain and not under it.” 

The sound of movement reached Maggie’s ears. When she turned around to locate its source, she saw Theo sitting on a rock, staring idly into the forest. His gaze carefully wandered to Maggie’s, but when their eyes met, he quickly turned away. 

“He must hate me,” Maggie whispered and hugged her knees tighter. “All of them. We have been gone for _sixty_ years, Aragorn. That is almost a whole goddamn lifetime.”

“Theo does not hate you,” Aragorn assured her “You must not forget that 60 years for a human, is not the same for dwarves and certainly not for elves. Theo was raised with stories of you and your love for him. I also remember that love. This is simply a bit strange and unusual. After all, it is not everyday your mother returns from another world, when the only world he has known is this one.” 

“Yeah,” Maggie sighed “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about the day we got sent back. There’s so much I wish I could change if I’d have known. I thought I was going to live out my life with Fili and Elrond by my side. Instead, I abandoned all of them.” 

A moment of silence fell between them as a million thoughts whirled around in Maggie’s mind. She was angry with her brother, because if he would have told her about the prophecy in the first place, she could have warned everyone. Instead, he kept it to himself and didn’t bother telling her before it was too late. Supposedly, he decided to keep it from her in order to protect her, but Maggie didn’t need protecting. Riley had thought that Maggie wouldn’t believe him, because she was so wrapped up in her own bubble of happiness and perhaps he was right. It still didn’t give him the right to keep something so important from her and because of that, Maggie spent the past year being filled with guilt, grief and anxiety. 

“Fili and Elrond both knew it wasn’t your choice to leave,” Aragorn told her “They never blamed you. After you left, Gandalf told them about the prophecy. Riley shared the information with him, in case anything did happen to you two.” 

“What are you saying?” Maggie asked as she looked up the ranger. 

Aragorn’s eyes seemed hopeful and he smiled at her. “I am saying that they never gave up hope. Both Fili and Elrond still love you deeply and they have waited for you all this time. All while raising Theo, with the help of your father.”

Maggie hadn’t forgotten that her father was also still in Middle-Earth. At first, she thought he must surely be an old man, but then she realised that not only was her father a Numenorean but a descendant of the House of Elros, which meant his lifespan was longer than the average human. 

“How is my father?” Maggie asked “I can only assume he handled everything pretty well, considering dimension jumping seems to be what our family does best.” 

Aragorn chuckled. “He has taken residence in Minas Tirith. There was some political trouble regarding the matter of your heritage, which your father was able to settle.”

“He didn’t stay in Rivendell?” 

This surprised Maggie, because she knew her father loved Rivendell, much like everyone seemed to do. 

“No,” Aragorn said “He does sometimes visit but as Theo grew older, there was not so much a need for parental supervision.” 

“I can’t believe my son is older than I am, yet he looks like he is my age.” Maggie said. “This is going to take some time getting used to.” 

Both Maggie and Aragorn heard Theo shift again. He moved from his place on the rock and poke the ember glowing coals. Maggie heard him exhale a heavy sigh be wanted before he crawled beneath his blanket and turned to his side. She wanted so badly to speak with him, to tell him everything and above all how much she loved him. She was desperate to let him know that not a day went by when Maggie didn’t think about him. Every day, she woke up to her heart aching and she still cried at night when she thought about missing out on raising her son with the two loves of her life. There was literally nothing she could do that would make up for all the lost years, missed milestones and birthdays. 

“Try to sleep, _aier_.” Aragorn told her. “We should be arriving in Rivendell by midday tomorrow.” 

Maggie only nodded in response as the ranger kissed her forehead and returned to see to the fire. 

As Maggie pulled the soft blankets over her and glanced at the sky one last time, briefly spotting Elendil glowing in the distance, she finally fell into a deep slumber. 

* * *

The trek to Rivendell was much more arduous than Maggie remembered. She was definitely not as fit as she once was. It was a silent journey for most of the time, only interrupted by the hobbit quietly talking among each other. Even the usually chatty Merry and Pippin didn’t ask Riley quite so many questions as the day before. As the events of the previous day sunk in, Maggie was finally able to take in her surroundings and she had almost forgotten the beauty of Middle-Earth. Even Felix, who struggled to adjust the most, was breath taken by the environment around them. Woodland turned into moor-like plains and then autumn sun made the temperature comfortable enough. 

After a few hours, they reached plans which were particularly familiar to Maggie. Her eyes caught Riley’s and they both realised they were on the same plains where they were chased by Azog and his orc pack. Maggie recalled falling over and then saving Balin while also being injured in the process. That was the first time she saw her father in that dream-like voidspace and the first time he told them about their true heritage. It was still strange to comprehend that to Maggie and Riley, those events took place maybe 2,5 years ago while sixty years passed in Middle-Earth. She wondered how the Company were doing, if all of them were still alive and how life had fared for them since their departure. 

Aragorn brought them through the secret passageway beneath the ground and when they came to the end of the tunnel, Maggie finally saw a sight that she had not seen in a long time. The group paused and they all stared out over the view that was the Hidden Valley. Suddenly, a million different memories came flooding back to Maggie and her heart immediately began to rard, face faster. By the time they reached the courtyard, Maggie exhaled a breath she realised she’d been holding. Rivendell looked exactly the same and nothing had changed since their departure. She could hear the roaring waterfalls in the background, saw the stables where Aragorn would spend hours at a time as a child. She saw the gardens where Fili and Elrond would often spar, as a way to gain her attention. She heard the river not too far away and she recalled the picnic by the riverbed for her birthday. So many happy memories and yet her mind felt anxious at the thought of seeing Elrond and Fili again. Even though Aragorn told her that their feelings for her had not changed, she was still nervous.

“I will go and find Elrond,” Theo said “And let him know our guests have arrived.” 

“Take the hobbits with you,” Aragorn suggested “No doubt they are hungry after a long day’s trek.” 

Theo left with Sam, Merry and Pippin and as Maggie was about to speak the sound of cheerful humming interrupted their conversation. Maggie thought the voice sounded familiar, if slightly changed and when she turned around she saw a familiar face sitting on a bench not far from where they were. Once again, Maggie’s heart jumped. Bilbo Baggins hadn’t changed much since they last met. You could tell that he was older but, he still had the familiar curly hair, wore a golden waistcoat and brown trousers. There were more wrinkles on his face, but that was the only real sign of ageing Maggie noticed. He seemed to be the same old Bilbo. 

Maggie watched as her brother took careful steps forward and she saw the look in his eyes, which was a mix of excitement and nervosity. As Riley walked up to Bilbo, the hobbit seemed to be deep in his own thoughts as he was writing in a large leatherbound book. Regardless of her current feelings towards her brother, Maggie knew what this moment meant to Riley and she took a few steps back as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. 

“I see you’re finally working on that book,” Riley said carefully. “You always did say you wanted to record our adventures.” 

The moment Bilbo heard Riley’s voice, he snapped out of his own voice and looked up from his work. For a while, the hobbit just stared at Riley as if he was looking at a ghost. Then, Bilbo put the book down beside him and used his walking stick to help him get up. Riley stood still in his place and when Bilbo finally walked up to Riley, she saw hints of tears in both of their eyes. Carefully, Bilbo reached up and touched Riley’s face to make sure it was real and not some otherworldly apparition. Then, Bilbo closed the distance between him with a hug and for what seemed like ages they remained there. 

“I always knew I’d see you again.” Bilbo whispered “Nobody believed me. Except the elves. They know these things. Oh Riley how I’ve missed you.”   
  


“You always were a sentimental old fool, Master Burglar.” Riley replied. 

  
“I know Bilbo.” Riley held the hobbit tightly as Bilbo sobbed into his shoulders. Riley remembered a time when the roles had been reversed and he was the one crying into Bilbo’s arms. 

“I am so sorry, my love.” Riley didn’t bother holding back the tears. “I am sorry I abandoned you. I never wanted to leave you.” 

  
“No.” Bilbo said as he dried his own tears. “No you mustn’t think that. I never did. I knew there was a reason and Elrond too. He asked if I would stay in the Shire but I had to go back. My cousin Frodo, you see..” 

Riley interrupted Bilbo’s ramblings with a kiss and ran his hands through the curly hair. 

“It’s okay Bilbo.” he assured him. “You did what you had to do.” 

Bilbo let out a heavy sigh and placed a hand on his back. “I’m sorry.” he apologised “I fear I am not as energetic as I once was.” 

“Let’s go back to your room,” Riley suggested “I’m assuming it’s our old one? You can have a nap.” 

The hobbit nodded and stifled a yawn. Age, it seemed, had finally caught up with Bilbo Baggins. It was heartwarming to Maggie, to see her brother reunited with his love.   
  
“Yes, I’d like that.” Bilbo said “Will you still be here when I wake up?”   
  
“Of course, my love.” 

Riley took Bilbo’s hand as they walked back towards the Homely House, his eyes met Maggie’s. She knew then that whether she liked it or not, the two of them would need to have a very long conversation when they had some time to themselves. 

* * *

“Maggie,” Felix said after staying silent for most of the journey. “Was that…” 

“Yes.” Maggie replied, knowing exactly what her friend was asking 

  
“Shouldn’t we…” 

Maggie shook her head. She knew that Felix, Laura and Nat must have a thousand questions but, it wasn’t her business to tell them about her brother’s romantic relationship. Especially when she knew the hardships Riley and Bilbo had been through. 

“No, Felix.” she said calmly. “It wasn’t our queue.” 

“But why was it Riley’s?” Nat asked 

“Because, “ Maggie turned to her friends. “He is Bilbo’s husband.” 

“I...don’t understand.” Laura said. “Riley Spencer is married to Bilbo Baggins. Of the Shire? Mr. Respectable hobbit who said good day to Gandalf the Grey.” 

“The one and the same.”

“I know you guys briefly explained it earlier but I don’t get it.” Laura added “How do you guys know him...Aragorn...all of this? How is any of it even possible?” 

Maggie had been dreading this moment. How could she possibly explain to her friends that over 2 years of her life had been spent in a world that was, to them, fictional. Maggie’s eyes fell on a familiar window by an equally familiar balcony, looking out over the garden. The

“I will explain, I promise.” she sighed. “Right now though, there’s someone I’ve really got to see.” 

“Who?” Felix asked 

“Perhaps,” A familiar voice said from behind them. “While you are away, I could explain everything to your friends.” 

“Gandalf.” 

Maggie barely dared to believe her ears. At first, she heard the tapping of a staff as it hit the ground. From the vicinity of her eyes, she also saw a long grey robe cascading down the stone steps of the courtyard. When her gaze travelled up the figure, a pair of familiar and kind blue eyes met hers. Maggie practically ran into Gandalf’s arms and the Grey Wizard embraced Maggie into a warm hug. He greeted her almost as if she was an old family member, which in some way she was. The smile on Gandalf’s face told Maggie that he had missed his friends and was happy to see them once again. 

“My dear Lady Maragaret. Long years have passed since I last saw you. It seems the Valar have blessed us with your presence once again.” Gandalf said and when he released her from the hug, he greeted her with a respectful bow “It is wonderful to see you.” 

“Oh.” Felix said. “You’re friends with Gandalf the Grey, nothing strange there at all.”   
  
“Ah.” said the wizard “So you have heard of me, Master Felix?”   
  
Felix gazed at Gandalf in shock and the wizard merely responded with a chuckle. “My dear boy, you look like you have seen a ghost.” 

“At this point, I’m wondering if we’re all dead but no such luck, I’m afraid.”

Maggie shook her head. “Don’t mind him, Gandalf. He’s a bit grumpy sometimes, but mostly harmless.” 

“I will look after them while you are gone.” Gandalf put his arm on Maggie and smiled. “He is waiting for you. I also believe we are awaiting the arrival of Master Fili.” 

“Who is waiting?” Natalie asked. “Also? Fili son of Durin?” 

“Come walk with me, Lady Natalie, Lady Laura and Master Felix.” Gandalf invited them to follow him. “We have much to discuss.” 

* * *

_Sixty years_ , Maggie thought as she made her way up the stairs to Elrond’s house. As she walked through its familiar corridors, she almost saw shadows of the past and distant memories echoing between the walls. _He hasn't seen me in sixty years_. For her, it had only been a year and that thought alone was enough to fill Maggie with anxiety. Even with Aragorn’s words of comfort at the back of her mind, she wondered if perhaps Elrond had forgotten her and maybe with that forgotten his feelings for her. What right did she have to just ask him to take her back? After all, she had chosen to leave. It took ages until Maggie actually gained enough courage to walk through the halls until she reached the room that was Elrond's study. Of course, once she was outside it took her another good few minutes to get herself together. She was nervous because she wasn't sure what to expect. Would he be happy to see her? Was he angry with her? Had he moved on? She didn't know and the thought of that terrified her. Finally, after convincing herself it would be alright, Maggie raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Enter," said Elrond's familiar voice from inside.

 _Here goes nothing,_ Maggie thought as she opened the door. It was a familiar sight, Elrond sat by his desk writing down something on a parchment. Whatever was written on the parchment had him completely focused, like he often used to be when something was on his mind. _Still so handsome,_ Maggie thought. Her gaze wandered around the room and filled her mind with memories. Some of them were sad and heavy but most of them were happy memories. Even though Elrond had a bed chamber, it was his study that had become an intimate place for them. Maggie recalled times when she would perch on the side of his desk, running her hands through his dark hair, trying to steal a moment of his attention. Elrond would pretend to ignore her and she would walk behind him and put her arms around his shoulders. 

_“You are very serious today, my lord.”_

_“Even the Lord of Imladris must do paperwork, sometimes.”_

_“I see. So there’s no chance it can wait?”_

_“I am afraid not, meleth-nin.”_

_“That’s a shame. I guess I’ll just go see if Fili is busy.”_

As the memories played in Maggie’s mind, she smiled. Suddenly she wasn't afraid anymore and put her worries aside as she stepped over the threshold. 

"Some things don't change do they?”

* * *

_I know that voice,_ Elrond looked up from his desk and the sight in front of him was unmistakable. She looked unchanged, the same auburn locks (albeit a bit longer) her round face and the same enchanting brown eyes. Instantly, the Elf-lord got out of his seat and walked over to Maggie. At first he embraced her and they remained so for a while as the elf-lord listened to the increasing beats of Maggie’s heart. He had missed the warmth of her body and the touch of her skin. Elrond ran his hand through her hair and for a while they stood there staring into each other’s eyes until Elrond sealed the space between them with a kiss. The kiss was one of love, want and one of desperate need. Tightly, Maggie wrapped her hands around Elrond’s neck and promised herself she would never let him go again. They had been through too much together 

"I've been waiting for you," said Elrond after they finally broke off the kiss. Maggie knew Elrond as somebody who always remained stoic, but even then his voice quivered. "I was not certain when you would be back. Prophecies aren’t always specific.”

“I’m sorry I took so long.” Maggie replied as she tousled his long brown hair. It felt good to inhale his scent. .“I had no idea when or even if we’d be back here.” 

As he wrapped his hands around Maggie’s waist, Elrond effortlessly picked her up and in one swift movement placed her on his desk. Another familiar memory surfaced, to a time when the two of them had acknowledged their lust and attraction for each other. 

“Do you remember the games we used to play?” Maggie asked as Elrond placed a kiss on her neck, while his hand trailed the inside of her thigh. 

“I remember you were particularly mischievous at times.” Elrond’s hand found its way to the zip of Maggie’s jeans and seemed confused at first at the strange garment of clothing. She never wore such clothes during her time in Rivendell. 

Maggie chuckled as the elf-lord struggled to undo the fly of her jeans, but he finally did, Elrond pulled them off her. 

“ _Hir-nin Elrond_.” Maggie whispered in his ear and let her finger trail down his back. “You seem impatient?” 

“Long years have I waited to see you again.” Elrond kissed her lips. “To touch you again.” he kissed her nose.. “To love you again.” he kissed her neck. “To have you again.” he whispered in her ear and bit Maggie’s earlobe and she felt herself trembling. 

* * *

"I am so confused…." Felix said as they walked. "Who is Maggie going to see and why is Fili’s arrival important?"

“Maggie and Elrond are lovers,” Gandalf replied frankly. “As are Fili and Maggie. They have not seen each other in a very long time.” 

Felix heard what Gandalf was saying but he wasn’t sure he understood it or knew how to react to it. Parts of it made sense, when it came to how strange both Maggie and Riley had been acting over the past year. He wondered if their ongoing feud had something to do with this as well. In all the years he’d known Maggie, she was someone who never wanted to be a mother, yet now she apparently had a grown up son and not just one but two partners. Not to mention Riley was apparently married to Bilbo Baggins. It was all a bit much for Felix and he began to feel nauseated again. 

"I thought dwarves weren't too keen on sharing things?" Nat asked

"Most of them are not, Lady Natalie." the wizard confirmed "Heaven knows Thorin was not"

“Wait...what?”Laura asked “You’re gonna have to start at the beginning.”

“So.” Felix said. “How does this story begin?” 

Felix, Laura and Natalie walked with Gandalf through the gardens of Rivendell. It had taken time but eventually, Fili began to accept that all of this was not a strange dream or a mass hallucination. This was real. Middle-Earth was a real place and whether he liked it or not, he’d have to deal with that. Natalie and Laura seemed to have accepted it far easier than he did. 

“It began like the best stories do.” Gandalf explained. “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. But I believe you know this story already.”   
  
“We do.” Nat acknowledged “But I don’t understand what it has to do with Maggie and Riley.” 

“Sixty years ago, myself and a company of dwarves were on our way to Rivendell. We were passing through to seek help from an old friend before continuing our journey to Erebor. I was gone at the time, but when I returned, Riley stumbled into the dwarves’ camp while Maggie had been taken hostage by the three mountain trolls. When we eventually arrived in Rivendell, we had to stay there for two weeks and wait until Midsummer’s Eve where Elrond could decipher a very old map. During these two weeks, Maggie became close with Thorin Oakenshield and throughout the journey, they fell in love. Riley and I were away on a separate adventure to seek out the Necromancer in Dol Guldur but Maggie travelled with the Company. It was during their time in Lake Town that Maggie found out she was pregnant. “ 

The trio listened carefully to Gandalf’s story. They knew it well of course, all of them (except Laura) had grown up with the works of Tolkien and had seen the Lord of the Rings many times. It was strange to hear their friends being part of such a familiar story. 

“Wait...you’re telling me Maggie and Riley helped the dwarves reclaim Erebor?” Nat said

“And Maggie fell in love with Thorin _Oakenshield_?” Laura added 

“Yes.” Gandalf said “They loved each other very deeply and had things been different, no doubt our Maragaret would be Queen of Erebor now. But, fate is cruel and Thorin’s was already sealed.” 

“What happened next?” Felix asked 

“After the Battle of the Five Armies and Thorin’s funeral, Maggie fell into a deep depression. She had lost their baby and buried her lover. For days she was inconsolable. The only one she allowed to see her was Bard. In the end, we decided it was best if she came to stay in Rivendell while Master Riley sought out their kin in Dunedain with Bard, Tauriel, Kili and Legolas.” 

“What about Bilbo? Did he go back to the Shire?” Natalie wondered, she had been completely engrossed by the the story. 

Gandalf nodded. “Temporarily, but when Riley returned to Rivendell, Bilbo decided to join him there.”

“And Maggie? Did she recover?” 

At Laura’s question, Gandalf sighed and briefly focused his glance to Lord Elrond’s window. Then he turned around to the three friends and continued the story. “The first few months were hard. She would often wake up at night, screaming from nightmares and it took a while before she would even speak to anyone. At one point, her Battle Terror and grief was so great, I know she thought about taking her life but thankfully she never acted on those thoughts. Eventually, with the help of Elrond and Fili she began to see the light again and when Theo was born, everything changed for her. I still remember the look of love in her eyes as she held her son for the first time.” 

“Oh my god…” Laura whispered and felt silent tears running down her face. “I never knew.” 

The wizard gently wiped the tears with his thumb. All this time, they never knew what Maggie and Riley both had been through. There were still some questions left unanswered, but the bigger picture started making sense.   
  
“Aye, but our Maggie is strong.” said the wizard “After Theo’s birth, Maggie told me she had a dream of Thorin. There, he told her that he wanted her to be happy and to have a life filled with love for both herself and their son. After that, things got better.” 

“She needed closure.” Felix guessed. “Where is she now, Gandalf? Who did she have to see? I know that’s not all there is to the story. You said there was some tension between Thorin and Elrond?”   
  
“You catch on quickly Master Felix.” Gandalf chuckled. “But yes, you are. Thorin and Elrond did not see eye to eye at first, certainly not where Maggie was concerned. When the dwarves spent time in Rivendell, before Thorin and Maggie even knew how they felt about each other, Elrond and Maggie formed a bond. They were and still are very close. As Maggie was healing her grief and near-death, they found each other again. I believe that right now, Maggie and Lord Elrond are having a long awaited and well deserved reunion.” 

“You mean...she’s _with_ Elrond?” Nat asked. “Right now?”   
  
“Well, I certainly hope so.” the wizard chuckled. “He’s been rather grumpy of late.” 

* * *

Later that evening, Maggie found herself wandering the halls of Elrond’s House, exploring every corner and every corridor. When her initial nerves and anxiety settled down, she realised it felt good to be there again. To be _home_. Her intimate moment with Elrond had been nothing short of perfect and exhilarating. She couldn’t explain how good it was to see her love again and she could tell he was just as excited. There was a slight chill in the evening air as she came to a familiar corridor, with a mural painted on the wall. An unfamiliar man stood staring up at the mural when he noticed the presence of both Maggie and Aragorn. 

“Neither of you are elves.” he said. Maggie saw the skeptic look in his eyes as he studied both of them. 

“The men of the South are welcome here.” Aragorn said gently 

“Who are you?” Boromir’s voice was sharp, almost as if he was a bit scared. 

“I am friend to Gandalf the Grey.”

“Then we are here on common purpose.” Boromir turned his attention to Maggie. “And you My Lady? What brings a fair maiden to these parts?” 

“I am a friend to Lord Elrond.” Maggie replied. “Here for a visit.” 

Boromir was no fool, Maggie realised and she saw a brief smirk appear on his face as he stepped forward and studied her closer. 

“I was not aware elf-lords sought companionships in humans?” 

“And I was not aware it’s any of your business.”

Boromir must have realised he’d crossed a line, but instead of apologizing he turned around and walked up to the stone table which kept an old broken sword. 

“The Shards of Narsil. The blade that cut the ring from Sauron’s hand” 

Boromir grabbed the sword with his hands and seemed to be awestruck by it. Maggie exchanged glances with Aragorn, who said nothing. Suddenly, Boromir winced as he accidentally cut himself on the blade. 

“Still sharp,” he whispered “But no more than a broken heirloom.” 

Without so much as a care, Boromir dropped the piece of the sword he’d been holding and left. Maggie decided in that instant that she was no fan of his or his manners. Aragorn didn’t seem to mind and quietly went to pick up the sword and put it back in its place. The ranger turned around to Maggie. 

  
“Theo is in the gardens,” Aragorn said as if he’d read her mind. “Go and speak with him. Now is a good time.” 

Maggie nodded and sure enough, she found Theo sitting on a bench in the garden. He was leaning forward, with his chin resting on his hand. He was deep in thought as he stared out over the darkened landscape of Rivendell. As Maggie saw him sitting there, she couldn’t help but stare in amazement. In the moonlight, Theo was almost a spitting image of Thorin, except younger. He carried his father’s posture, one with a lot of pride. He had braids in her hair, one of them was similar to the family braid shared by Thorin, Fili and Kili. She wasn’t quite sure what the other braid was for, but perhaps it held a different significance. Theo must have heard her coming long before Maggie reached him, because he moved over to make space for next to him. 

For a while, they sat in silence and Maggie figured out how to even begin to say what was on her mind. Finally, it was Theo who broke the silence. 

“He has missed you,” he said “No doubt cousin Fili will be equally excited to see you.” 

“Theo, I know that no words I can say will ever change how I must have hurt you by disappearing. I'm not expecting you to forgive me but please know that I never wanted to leave. Not you, not Fili or Elrond. You were my whole life and I love you endlessly. I would do anything to have that lost time back."

Maggie knew she sounded desperate but it was beyond important to her that Theo knew that she never wanted to 

"All my life growing up, I never understood why Fili always looked so sad and why Elrond never smiled. Except when they spoke of you. I know the love you have for them is great and even Aragorn always talked about you with such high regard. I do not remember any of it, except sometimes you would sing to me. I was angry for a long time but I am not angry with you, mother. I am angry with _them_." Theo said as he sat down "Gandalf once explained about the prophecy and what happened.They expect people to follow them so blindly, yet they have the power to play with our lives.” 

Theo’s voice filled with anger, a similar kind of anger Maggie used to hear in Thorin. He clenched his fist and Maggie saw silent tears streaming down his face. She placed a hand on his cheek and stroked it gently. For the first time since their arrival, Theo looked up and their eyes met and then, he embraced Maggie. The hug took her by surprise but then, they spent ages just holding each other and Maggie too realized she was crying. To her surprise, it was Theo who wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. 

"You look so much like him." Maggie whispered. “He would be so proud if he saw you now.” 

“Fili says he is always watching,” Theo said “From Mahal’s Hall.” 

Then, Theo seemed to remember something and as he briefly let go of Maggie, he reached inside his pouch and took out something that surprised Maggie. All this time, she’d almost forgotten about Riley’s old iPhone they’d left behind the night they disappeared. What amazed her even more was that Theo was able to start it and unlock its display. It should be impossible for the device to still have batteries after sixty years, but if it was one thing Maggie knew about Middle Earth was that it was full of surprise. As Theo unlocked the phone, he tapped on the Gallery icon on the screen and opened up photo albums. 

“Granddad showed me how to use this.” Theo explained “When I was very little and he tucked me into bed, he would show me photos of you. Here, this is my favourite one.” 

Theo opened a photo which immediately brought a smile to Maggie’s face and a flutter stirred in her stomach. It was a photo taken at her 26th birthday party. The one planned by Bilbo where the Company of dwarves visited from Erebor, as well as Bard, his children and Brenna. Even Dis had made the effort. She remembered the night fondly and especially the few hours following the party when she’d spent the night with Elrond and Fili at the same time. It was a group photo, by the looks of it taken by Lindir who must have been instructed by Riley because the photograph was a little blurry but you could see everyone. Maggie was standing between her two lovers, with baby Theo in her arms. She saw the smile on her face and suddenly felt a little sad, because she hadn’t smiled like that for a long time. 

“It is my favourite photo because my whole family is in it, except father.” Theo said “You all look so happy.”   
  
“It was a wonderful night,” Maggie remembered “I can’t believe you kept this or that it still works after all this time. Hell, they barely last a year in our world.” 

“Gandalf was able to use some magic to alter its...lifespan.” 

“I bloody love wizards.” 

  
Theo got back up on his feet and reached out his hand to help Maggie up. 

“Come _naneth_ ,” he said and Maggie felt another wave of flutter at the elvish word for ‘mother’. “Let’s go to the kitchens, it’s too cold a night to stay outside and I believe hazelnut hot cocoa is your favourite?” 

* * *

“Middle-Earth huh? I'll be damned,"

"It kind of explains a lot though; why Maggie's been acting so off lately and why Riley won't really speak about it." Laura, Felix and Nat were all sitting in Nat's bedchamber, which she could not believe the size of, talking things through. Sleeping seemed impossible as they were all still too wired up.

"I'm still not sure I understand what's going on." said Laura "You're forgetting I haven't read or seen Lord of the Rings. I never got the big deal with it."

There was a knock on the door and when Riley came inside, Laura crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. "And just where have you been?" Laura asked

"Chill out Mrs Weasly," Riley teased as he sat himself down on the floor next to Felix. "If you must know I've been out having a chat with Gandalf. Do you have any idea of what's happening tomorrow?"

Felix shrugged "You got me, but do tell."

"Tomorrow is the Council of Elrond. You know the meeting where they decide what's going to happen with the ring."

Felix almost felt a bit excited

"Shit, we've got here in perfect timing. Don't suppose there's any chance we could listen in on it?"

"Actually," Riley replied "Maggie and I have been asked to join." Gandalf had explained everything to him a short while earlier. People had been arriving throughout the day and some would arrive in the early hours of the morning to attend the council and given the current circumstances, Riley and Maggie had been asked to participate.

"Why do you get to join when we don't?" Felix asked

"I guess because, well, we're family."

Nat had been sat in silence for while with a warm cup of tea in her hands until she finally spoke.

"What happened between you guys, Ri?"she asked “You and Maggie used to be so close, but you’ve barely spoken in a year. You still aren’t really speaking and I know it’s got something to do with all of this.” 

Riley sighed and twiddled his thumbs, while considering how to explain. Chances were his friends would also be angry with him and they had all rights to be, but at least then his conscience would finally clear. 

  
“I was an idiot.” Riley explained “When I travelled with the Dunedain, I found a prophecy which told of us returning to Middle-Earth. Something about ‘Five more will come to aid their fight.’ Anyway, I decided that the best thing to do was to keep the prophecy from Maggie because she was so happy. Elrond and Fili had both confessed their feelings to her, Theo was born and she was finally over all the grief and sorrow from Thorin and the Battle of the Five Armies. I thought the best thing to do was to not divulge that information with her, because I also knew she wouldn’t believe me. A part of me also though that because we changed fate once, we could change it again. The Valar are quite stubborn about their decisions so one day, we were simply yanked back to our world and I had to tell Maggie the truth.”   
  
“Let me guess,” Felix said “She didn’t take it well?”   
  
Riley shook his head. “Not at all. She thought I was selfish for keeping something so crucially important from her, based on assumptions of how she might react. I tried explaining my reasons but she said that if I’d have told her, she could have warned Elrond and Fili. The more I tried reasoning with her, the more she shut me out and I know how stubborn she can be. I eventually got more annoyed and you guys know the rest.” 

“Oh Riley…” Laura said 

"I still can't believe it,” Nat added “ All that time and we never knew."

"Would you really have believed us even if we told you?" They all agreed it was a fair enough point. It wasn't something you really brought up in any conversation.

“You guys have to talk about it now that you’re here.” Felix knew “You can just let it fester, it will just rot and turn into more anger.” 

Felix knew his friend was right of course, he just had to wait for the righ time. 

**_To be continued…._ **


	3. Many Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see more familiar faces and there's a long awaited Council.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N: This update is a little later than usual because I’m still sick and getting annoyed with it at this point so if this chapter does not make sense, I once again blame the flu meds.**  
>  First of all, thank you all for your favourites/follows/kudos as well as your reviews and comments. I literally cannot express how happy they make me, I did not think anyone would like this story when I first started writing it. Who are your favourite characters? What do you think of the newbies, Nat, Laura and Felix? Will they be shipped with anyone do you think? Let me know! 
> 
> I noticed an editing mistake in the previous chapter when Gandalf tells the story of Maggie and Riley to the others and he mentions that the baby died. Obviously Theo is alive, but the original plan was that he did not make it. I’m glad I changed my mind on that one. Also, I’m sticking to the movieverse timeline where it’s sixty years between the Hobbit and LOTR. Also in the book the Council of Elrond takes place in October and the Fellowship do not depart from Rivendell until December. They won’t stay that long in this version, but a week or so to tie things over. 
> 
> Lots of dialogue, more reunions and a very famous Council. 

* * *

**THREE**

_ Many Meetings _

Maggie woke up just before dawn when the very first rays of sun began to peer through the large bay windows of Elrond’s bedroom. She was too restless and full of energy to sleep and Elrond was (unsurprisingly) already out of bed. After their meeting in the gardens, Theo brought her to the kitchens where he made her hazelnut hot cocoa. They spent hours talking about everything and sometimes about nothing. Maggie listened to her son telling her about his childhood, (mis)adventures with Aragorn and Legolas and lots of other things she’d missed out on. She wanted to hear everything but naturally, there was no time and eventually Maggie’s eyelids felt heavy. All the emotions of the past couple days caught up with her and she found herself having to give up and call it a night. When she crawled into bed next to Elrond, Maggie was the happiest she had felt in over a year. She was finally home again and she never wanted to leave it. 

In those early moments of dawn, Maggie found her brother sitting on their favourite veranda with a cup of tea next to him and another in his hand. 

“Hey..” Riley said carefully. “Cuppa?” 

“Sure.” 

Maggie knew the tea was a peace offering, which she accepted and then sat down next to Riley. It amazed her that her brother was already awake and dressed, because no matter what universe they were currently in, Riley Spencer hated early mornings more than anyone. As a child, their parents sometimes would literally have to drag him out of bed or use other tricks to get him to wake up in time for school. Now, Riley sat next to her dressed in more Middle-Earth appropriate clothing (trousers and tunic). He seemed more relaxed than Maggie had seen him in a while, which made sense. She wondered how Riley felt about seeing Bilbo for the first time in such a long while, especially as Bilbo had now aged. As all the thoughts whirled around in Maggie’s mind, she inhaled the scent of the herbal tea, which was some kind of chamomile with honey and took a sip. 

“I know you probably don’t want to,” Riley told her. “But I think we should talk. Don’t you?” 

“Yeah,” Maggie said and took another sip of the tea and then pondered for a while on how to phrase thought’s she’d been carrying inside her for a whole year. She didn’t want to completely berate her brother for actions, or lack thereof, but she did want to make it clear how his choices made her feel and what she had been going through for the past year.

“I know you did what you thought was right at the time.” Maggie started “You’ve always only ever had my best intentions at heart. I know that’s the big brother part of you and I’ve always loved you for that. But it doesn’t change the fact that you should have told me, Ri. The moment you got back to Rivendell we should have talked. That would have been the sensible thing to do.”

“I know,” Riley sighed, “In my mind, I thought you were happy in your honeymoon phase of your relationships with Elrond and Fee, that I convinced you wouldn’t believe me. I also didn’t want to take away your happiness after all the suffering. Honestly, I also didn’t want to believe it. I thought that by not telling you, maybe it wouldn’t happen at all and I could just ignore it. I’m sorry, Maggie.” 

Maggie understood her brother’s reasoning and if she was honest with herself, she couldn’t say that she wouldn’t have acted the same way. She also knew that Riley wasn’t the only one to blame for how things had been between them over the past year and she felt a bit of shame over her own actions. Anger was her least favourite character trait, yet Maggie allowed her anger over Riley’s decisions to fester and turn into poison. 

“I’m sorry too, Riley.” Maggie said. “I got so angry with you and the only reason why is because I missed Theo, Fee and Elrond so much it was hurting. I blamed you for taking me away from them and I didn’t even consider how much you must have been hurting from being without Bilbo for so long. I’ve been a bloody awful sister if I’m honest.”

“I can’t say I’ve been the best brother either.” Riley said “I’m sorry about those awful things I said back at Nat’s the night we got here. I didn’t mean any of it.’

Maggie took her brother’s hand and leaned against him while he wrapped his arms around her in the first hug they had shared in a year. It wasn’t the first argument they’d had and it certainly wouldn’t be the last but it lasted longer than either of them wanted. Talking things over had always been the Spencer way of dealing with problems, even if sometimes meant brutal honesty was used. 

“So,” Riley said when he let go of Maggie and stifled a yawn. “War of the Ring, huh? This is the big one.” 

“Yeah, shit.” Maggie realised and she hadn’t given much thought to, but it immediately raised a lot of questions about what it would mean for them. “What are we going to do?” 

“If the prophecy is right, I think we have to join the Fellowship and I don’t mean just you and I. It said six more will aid the fight. Obviously that means Nat, Felix and Laura but that still leaves one.” 

At the thought of their three friends, Maggie couldn’t help but feel bad. Since their arrival in Middle-Earth, she had been so focused on seeing Elrond and talking to Theo and Aragorn that she hadn’t really considered what her friends must be going through. Suddenly finding yourself in a whole other world that was supposed to be fictional was a lot to take in. Both Riley and Maggie owed the other three a proper explanation about everything, but it seemed like there was a lot going on in Rivendell as well. 

“We should all talk,” Maggie suggested “They must have so many questions. I haven’t exactly been a great friend in the past couple of days.” 

“Gandalf filled them in on mostly everything, but you’re right.” Riley agreed “Maybe we can all talk during breakfast, before the Council of Elrond?” 

“That’s TODAY? Oh my God that means Legolas must be coming!”

“Not to mention, Gloin, Gimli and Fili.” 

Maggie’s heart skipped a bit when Riley mentioned Fili’s name. She had only ever known Fili as a youthful dwarf but now, she figured he was at least 142 years old if her math was right. Had he aged, Maggie wondered. Were there bits of grey hair in his gorgeous blonde curls? Was he perhaps less boyish and more mature now? Whatever the case, she couldn’t wait to see him and felt a rush of excitement sweep over her. 

“It’s good to be home, Ri.” Maggie said after a while. “I’ve really missed this and everyone.” 

“Yeah, me too.” 

* * *

They talked for a while longer, until dawn became early morning and both their stomachs growled with hunger. It was good, Maggie thought, to no longer be fighting because over the past year, she had really missed her brother. Riley was her best friend and the only one she was able to talk to about Middle-Earth. Shutting him out in her anger was a foolish decision and something Thorin would have done. Now that they were back in Middle-Earth, things could get back on track and with Nat, Laura and Felix there, they didn’t have to keep anything secret anymore.  _ Strange,  _ Maggie thought as she ate the last spoonful of porridge for breakfast,  _ it’s been a while since I’ve thought about him.  _ It was rare that Thorin crossed her mind but sometimes, in unexpected moments, she saw his face when she closed her eyes. These days, it wasn’t sadness that filled her heart when she was reminded of his kind, blue eyes but love. Maybe Theo was right and he was smiling down at them from his place in Mahal’s Hall. 

Breakfast was always a feast in Rivendell, just like everything else and they ate outside, in the warm sunlight. To both Maggie and Riley’s surprise, the trio adjusted well to Rivendell and their new surroundings. Over breakfast, Felix was having a conversation with Aragorn and Theo. Natalie happily spoke with Lord Elrond, no doubt asking him a thousand questions about elves, while Laura answered Merry and Pippin’s 21 questions. Meanwhile, Maggie couldn’t believe she was having breakfast with Frodo Baggins of the Shire. Just like his cousin, Frodo was a polite and well-spoken hobbit, with a glint of mischief in his eyes. Thanks to Elrond’s healing, he recovered from the Nazgul attack on Weathertop and it was clear the other hobbits were more than relieved. Every now and again throughout breakfast, Maggie caught Gandalf’s eyes as he smoked his pipe. Something troubled the wizard and that was usually never a good thing. 

Following breakfast, when their stomachs were all full and happy, Maggie and Riley were finally able to have a moment alone with Felix, Nat and Laura. Lord Elrond’s staff had provided the trip with fresh clothes, which obviously fit them all perfectly. Felix was dressed in trousers and tunic similar to Riley’s, except his tunic was grey rather than white. He also wore a waistcoat over the tunic and his brown hair was actually brushed and tied into a ponytail for once. Apparently some of the elves had wondered how a human man could have such elf-like hair and none of them realised of course that Felix never grew out of his grunge-phase. Nat and Laura both wore two beautiful dresses, perfectly fit for their size and figure. There was something about being dressed in basically medieval fantasy clothes that brought out one’s inner child and all three girls were giddy and giggling throughout the morning. 

“So, we spoke with Lord Elrond,” Maggie said “Given that the prophecy is almost certainly about us five joining the Fellowship, it makes sense that you guys also attend the Council.”    
“I still don’t get it,” Laura said “Why us? Why are we specifically chosen for this?”    
  
“We literally have no idea.” Riley replied “All we know is that the Valar have very specific visions about the fate of this world. For some reason, that includes us, which is great because Sauron has a very personal vendetta against our family.” 

“I still can’t believe your dad is a Numenorean. All this time and we had no idea.” Felix said “I mean, seriously! Uncle Al who struggles to use chromecast is Amandil! Wait! Does this mean you guys are immortal?” 

Maggie chuckled but it was a legitimate question. Numenoreans, she knew, weren’t so much immortal as blessed with a longer lifespan. Technically, she and Riley were half Numenoreans and lived all their life on Earth, so maybe that meant their genes were different somehow? Just as she was about to reply to Felix’s question, they were interrupted by Lindir who called out to them. 

“My Lady Margaret, Master Riley.” said the Elf. “You have some guests awaiting your presence in the courtyard.” 

Lindir didn’t have to say anything else and the two siblings both took off running from the veranda to the courtyard. There, just as Lindir said, three figures stood waiting for them. Two of them were dwarves and one of them was a very familiar, blonde elf-prince. Maggie ran straight into the arms of Gloin who laughed heartily and returned her embrace. Gloin had definitely aged, but he still looked well with the same ginger hair and kind eyes. 

“Durin’s Beard,” said the old dwarf as he took Maggie’s hand and spun her around as though they were dancing. “You have not aged a day, lass.” 

"It's wonderful to see you, Master Gloin!” Maggie said and then she turned to the second dwarf who looked almost exactly like his father. “This must be your son whom I've heard so much about?"

“Aye, this is my lad, Gimli." Gloin said proudly “Gimli, these are my dear friends. Master Riley and Lady Margaret.” 

Gimli gave a deep and respectful bow to Maggie who returned his greeting with a curtsy. She’d almost forgotten the politeness of dwarves. 

"It's an honour to meet such a fair maiden of legend.” Gimli said and Maggie chuckled when she saw him blush. 

“Do I not get a greeting?” Legolas asked with his arms crossed. “I thought we were also old friends?” 

“‘Las. How could I forget?”  Maggie greeted Legolas with a hug and couldn’t believe how many of their old friends were there. 

“ _ Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo _ .” Legolas said “A star shines upon the hour of our meeting and our paths cross once more. Just like you once told me they would,  _ aier _ .”

“Maggie!”

There was no doubt in Maggie mind who the new voice belonged to. A blonde dwarf stood on top of the stone steps leading down to the courtyard. 

Fili jumped, nay leaped, down the stone steps and still managed to elegantly land on both feet. He stood still in his place for a moment as he studied Maggie with wide eyes. There was both excitement and almost disbelief in those blue eyes but when they locked with Maggie, a familiar mischievous smile tugged at his lips. Butterflies stirred in Maggie’s gut and she almost immediately felt like a teenager again. The next thing she knew, Fili ran towards her and slammed his lips to hers. Not only did the blonde dwarf nearly knock all the wind from her lungs, but practically tackled Maggie in the process. She lost her footing and fell over, with Fili landing on top of her. Maggie hardly had a moment to react before he pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips and delved inside her mouth. By all accounts, it was a very sloppy kiss in the intermingling of their billowing breaths but Maggie didn’t mind. Time almost seemed to have frozen in place and when Fili finally broke the kiss, Maggie’s arms reached up and tangled around Fili’s, strong neck. The blonde dwarf rested his forehead against hers while gently rubbing his nose against Maggie, who let out a small chuckle. She had almost forgotten the small ways in which dwarves showed affection. Any doubts she’d previously had about Fili missing her were eradicated. 

“Mahal...” Fili whispered, "I can't believe you've come back to us." 

Fili got off Maggie and helped her up on her feet. Then, he pulled her close to him and held her for a while, as they just looked each other in the eyes. Maggie tousled his blonde hair with her fingers as she felt Fili’s breath on her lips. 

"I am never leaving again." Maggie replied. "I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, all of Maggie's guilt washed over her again and she felt tears streaming down her face. It was her heart reminding her of the deep love she had for Fili and indeed Elrond as well. Not having them in her life had created an empty space inside her, which she hadn’t been able to fill no matter how much she tried to heal. Back in their world, Maggie’s friends thought her sadness was to due a lack of relationship, so their solution was to try and get her to date and had on more than one occasion attempted to play matchmaker. Obviously, this backfired and only made Maggie more sad. She recalled one occasion when she’d burst into tears in front of her friends and wasn’t able to explain why. That if she didn’t have Fili and Elrond she wouldn’t have anyone. 

"No, it isn't your fault,  _ Amralime _ ." Fee assured her and cupped her chin, his gentle thumb wiping away her tears. "You did not know and had no control."

"I caused all of you so much pain and I missed out on so much."

Maggie felt a sharp panic begin to grow inside her and almost immediately her breath became more shallow. Fee's soothing strokes calmed her. 

"All I care about is that you are here now." Fee told her " _Amralizi_ , Maggie. Nothing has changed that."

"I love you too, Fee." Maggie whispered

“You guys have a room, you know.” Riley teased. “Like at least three of them. Although, if memory serves it seems sometimes you only need one.” 

Maggie threw a small pebble at her brother who dodged it. Fili let go of Maggie and kissed her on the cheek

“It is wonderful to see you, Riley.” Fili said “I see you have not lost your spark of mischief.” 

“Neither have you, I hope?” 

“Certainly not. Someone has to be a bad influence on my nieces and nephew.” 

Maggie and Riley spoke at the same time. “What?” 

“Kili and Tauriel married some years ago.” Fili explained “They have three children now, all of them a handful.” 

“Kee is a  _ dad _ ?” Riley asked “You’re sure we’re talking about the same Kili? The kids are still alive?” 

Fili chuckled. “It’s hard to believe, I know. Frerin is only ten, Idril is twenty-two and Miriel is twenty.” 

“Wait, so in human years that’s what--five years old around 10-12 for the girls?

“Fee, these are our friends; Laura, Natalie and this is Felix. Guys this is Fili, Son of Dis.” 

“And now also King under the Mountain,” came Elrond’s voice from behind them. The 

“You’re  _ king _ ?” Maggie asked, “Of  _ Erebor _ ?”

Maggie couldn’t believe her ears. During their time in Rivendell, Fili had made it very clear that he didn’t want the crown of Erebor and had given it to Dain. Perhaps her departure all those years ago made him change his mind? Even though the news surprised her, she was happy about them because Fili was no doubt a wonderful king. 

“Aye,” Fili nodded “I have been for the past fifty-five years.”

“Ah, so technically Mags that means you are the king’s mistress.” Riley teased 

“Sounds like the title of a Mills and Boons novel if you ask me.” Felix added

“Ooh! The King’s Mistress and the Lord’s Lover! We’ve got two best-sellers on the go, mate!” 

A second pebble came flying at Riley and Felix who dodged them. Maggie had almost forgotten what the two of them were like when they got together. Felix stuck out his tongue at Maggie who simply shook her head. 

“What is a Mills and Boon novel?” Lord Elrond asked 

“Believe us, Lord Elrond.” Nat replied “You’re better off not knowing.” 

“I shall take your word for it Lady Natalie. Now, most of our guests have arrived, it is time to take our seats for the council.” 

* * *

No matter how many times Riley had seen the movies and read the books, the Council of Elrond always managed to surprise him each time. Never in his life could have imagined actually being part of the Council for the sole purpose of joining the fellowship. Even after everything they’d been through over the past few years, the magic of Middle-Earth never ceased to amaze him. A small part of him still fanboyed over all these people, whom he had only heard in stories. There was no doubt in Riley’s mind that joining the Fellowship was the right thing to do, but it also came with a lot of questions that would no doubt be answered in time. He didn’t necessarily like the idea of leaving Bilbo behind again, especially in his old age. His husband was tired most of the time and Riley wanted to spend time with him, but Bilbo understood. 

While he and Maggie were used to Middle-Earth, the other three were not. No amount of preparation or conversation could prepare them for the dangers ahead. Middle-Earth was not the same as it was sixty years ago and Riley knew this war was much worse than the Battle of the Five Armies. Both he and Maggie had suffered Battle Terror after the Five Armies and for Riley’s part, the anger and darkness inside after the confrontation with the Necromance nearly destroyed him. He wasn’t overly keen on experiencing something like that again, but he also knew they needed to do this. It was clearly what the Valar had planned for them and he knew better than to go against their wishes. 

"Strangers of distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor." said Elrond. "Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall."

Riley leant towards Maggie and whispered so that only she could hear it. "You remember Professor Hutchinson's infamous Classics 101 lectures? I have a feeling this is going to be a bit like it." Maggie didn't reply, instead she turned her glance to Frodo who was sat right opposite her. He was carrying the ring around his neck and for a moment their eyes made but were both interrupted by Elrond's voice.

"Bring forth the ring Frodo."

Frodo placed the small golden ring on the stone table and It was almost as if time froze. Riley found himself staring at the object in front of him and he immediately began to remember his adventures with Gandalf. That first time they saw the mark of Sauron carved on tree-barks in Mirkwood and then their journey to Dol Guldur. He remembered so clearly when Bilbo found the ring in Gollum’s cave and he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if Riley had taken it instead and hidden from Bilbo. Perhaps then, the fate of Middle-Earth would be different but it wasn’t really his call to already mess with fate. As Riley stared at the ring, his eyes began to feel heavy yet he couldn’t take his eyes off it. All the noise of the council drowned away around him and he could only hear one voice. 

_ ‘Riley, son of Amandil.’  _ Sauron spoke, `I _ have been waiting for you.”  _

"I will take it! I will take the ring to Mordor."

Riley snapped out of his thoughts when Frodo spoke again.

"Though," said the hobbit "I do not know the way."

Gandalf sighed and Riley could hear the disappointment in his friends breath even though the wizard didn’t say it. 

"I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." said Gandalf

"If by my life, will or death I can protect you, I will," Aragorn added and knelt down in front of Frodo "You have my sword,"

Maggie looked up at Elrond. "Seriously, how is he 87? I still feel like I need to protect him." she whispered at which the Elf-lord smiled. Both Legolas and Gimli had offered Frodo their allegiance in the quest and even Boromir. Frodo seemed a bit surprised, as if he hadn't expected it. Riley had sat in silence for long while thinking and the more he thought the more he felt like something told him he ought to go with Frodo. He couldn't explain it but he had given up on trying to explain things he could not understand a long time ago.

"I'll go with you," he said "I have some skill with a sword and I've seen battle."

"So will I," Maggie announced. “I may need to brush up on my swordsmanship though.” 

At this, Fili stood up. "No. Absolutely not!” he protested and suddenly and the Council fell silent. “It is far too dangerous! I have lost you once already and my heart could not bear to lose you again. I do not want you to join them!”Elrond, talk sense into her.."

"The hell I won't!” Maggie snapped “Fee, I literally helped you guys reclaim Erebor and fought a  _ dragon _ ! 

"Indeed you did," said Elrond "And you also gained several injuries along the way and nearly died on more than one occasion.” 

"Okay,  _ you're  _ not helping.” Maggie turned to Fee “And  _ you're  _ supposed to be on my side!"

" _ Melemin _ , I am always on your side. We both are, but I just think that perhaps you need not jump to conclusions. Fili is trying to keep you safe and that is very much my wish too."

"Thank you Lord Elrond." said Fili, triumphantly. “Maggie, please see some sense. This is not the Quest for Erebor.” 

While Maggie argued with Fili and Elrond, Riley turned to Frodo who looked very puzzled by the whole thing. 

"Melemin?" whispered Frodo to Gandalf "Isn't that Elvish for 'my love'" he asked curiously

"It is indeed my dear Frodo.” the wizard replied “King Fili and Lord Elrond are Maggie’s lovers, you see. They've been through a great deal together."

" _ Lovers _ ?” But, she's human and not from this world. I don't understand."

Riley would have laughed if they timing wasn’t poor. The next person to speak up, was Theo, who had been sitting at Elrond’s side in silence for most of the meeting. 

" _ Ada, _ if I may speak." Theo said "Is it not true that the last time Mother and Uncle were here it was for a reason? Well, maybe this time, this is the reason. There is also a prophecy, is there not? It seems to me that they're supposed to help with this quest.  _ Ada _ , you and cousin Fili both know that they are both very capable of it. After all, that is all I've ever been told growing up. That my mother was both a fair maiden and fierce warrior as well as my uncle. Surely the Valar would not wish for us to go against their will." Theo was right of course and Elrond couldn't argue with that, especially when he knew what Galadriel had told him before.

"Very well," said the Elf-lord admitting defeat. "Am I to take it that you also wish to join them,  _ ion _ ?"

“Yes. The prophecy mentions that six people will aid the fellowship and I believe I am one of them.” 

"Hey!" It was Sam who had suddenly jumped out of a bush which had caught everyone off guard. "Mr Frodo's not going anywhere without me!"

"Well no, it is hardly possible to separate you two even when he is summoned to a secret meeting and you are not." Elrond replied. Merry and Pippin also fell out from their hiding place and Riley just rolled his eyes.

"We're going too!" Merry announced

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest…thing."

"Well that rules you out Pip." Merry said

"16 companions; so be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great!" Pippin exclaimed enthusiastically "Where are we going?"

* * *

Planning and preparing for the journey would take at least two weeks, which was fine by Maggie because it gave them all time to get ready. It also meant Maggie had two weeks with Elrond and Fili, which she was very excited about. Hearing Theo refer to Elrond as ‘father’ surprised her at first, but it also made sense because he had been raised in Rivendell alongside Aragorn, who he probably saw as his brother. That night, the elves hosted a feast in Elrond’s House to celebrate the reunion of friends and the forging of the Fellowship. It had been a very long time since so many races gathered in peace for a common occasion. The Great Hall was decorated in a way Maggie had never seen before. It was buzzing with life and laughter, despite the trials that lay before them. Even Bilbo had come out to join the party and Maggie was glad to see. 

Once everyone was gathered, Lord Elrond stood up with a glass in his hand. The Great Hall fell silent. 

“It is a perilous time for Middle-Earth and as the evil of Sauron spreads there is reason to be cautious.” Elrond said. “But it is during these dark times that we must turn to the light and seek that which gives us strength. Evil cannot persevere if we remember what brings us together. Even the darkness of Sauron cannot penetrate the bonds of friendship, family and of love. Tonight, we celebrate those bonds of Fellowship.” 

Everyone cheered and the party carried on. It didn’t take long before Felix, Laura and Nat experienced the potency of Elvish and dwarrow alcohol. Felix and Riley were the first ones to show signs of inebriation and Maggie laughed at their hijinks with Merry and Pippin. The girls also enjoyed themselves. Nat seemed to spend most of the evening talking with Theo while Laura was enjoying the company of Frodo and Sam. No doubt they would all wake up with hangovers in the morning, but it was a special occasion. As for Maggie, the evening reminded her a little of the night at the tavern in Lake Town with Bard, Brenna and the Company. There was certainly just as much dancing and drinking. Dwarves, it turned out, were surprisingly sure-footed when it came to dancing and Gloin had a few years of practice on his hands. 

“Having a good time,  _ givashel _ ?” Fili asked as Maggie twirled right into his arms on the floor. She replied with a kiss and wrapped her arms around him. As they moved together, perhaps Riley was right, she thought, and maybe tonight would be a reprise of the birthday she shared with Elrond and Fili. 

“Maggie,” Fili whispered, “Marry me.” 

For a moment, Maggie wasn’t sure she believed what Fili just said and let out a chuckle of disbelief. When Fili’s expression remained unchanged, Maggie’s heart began to beat faster. 

“What?” she asked “Fee, I’m leaving soon.” 

“Exactly!” Fee said “ _ Amralime _ , I have waited  _ sixty  _ years to be with you again and if this quest is as dangerous as the prophecy has foretold, I cannot wait any longer. I meant what I said all those years ago at your birthday party. If I cannot have you then I will not have anyone. I am King of Erebor now and I would very much like to have you as my queen.” 

“What about--?” 

“Elrond knows that I wish to marry you. He has no problem with it and it certainly will not change what you have. In fact, I have asked him to officiate the marriage.”

Fili gently took Maggie’s hand and knelt down in front of her. Once again, the Great Hall fell silent and all eyes were on them. Maggie felt her face flush a hot red colour and the tears started streaming before she even realised it. She had flashbacks to when Thorin proposed to her in Lake Town, but she wasn’t sad, she was excited. Maggie looked up and briefly met Elrond’s warm eyes.  _ It is true,  _ she heard his voice inside her head,  _ Fili wishes to marry you and that thought fills my own heart with joy. I still wish to share my life with you and I love you more than I can say with words, but I have already been married once. If you wish to marry Fili, you have my blessing, although you do not need it.  _   
  
“Margaret Spencer, will you marry me and become my queen?” Fili asked “And share with me this lifetime and all the others?” 

Maggie only nodded and as she responded to Fili’s question with a kiss, the world fell away around her and it was just the two of them. 

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_A long-ish chapter which maybe wasn’t the most interesting one. But everyone’s back together, the Fellowship has been forged and a surprise marriage proposal! I figured I want things to be light and happy for a while before things get more serious. Is everyone else in character? Let me know what you think?_**  
>  Inspiration for Maggie’s dress: https://www.etsy.com/listing/459855250/medieval-dress-ophelia-preraphaelite?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=elvish++dress&ref=sr_gallery-1-18&organic_search_click=1&cns=1
> 
> Inspiration for Laura’s dress: https://www.etsy.com/listing/400242159/medieval-dress-for-historical?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=medieval+dress&ref=sr_gallery-1-29&organic_search_click=1&sca=1
> 
> Inspiration for Nat’s dress: https://www.etsy.com/listing/244311175/wood-elven-dress-fairy-wedding-dress?ref=related-1


	4. The Fellowship Departs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Another update! I wrote the two chapters quite close to each other so enjoy! I normally don’t do the montage-thing but I figured for this chapter it made sense. This chapter is also not as long as all the other ones but I hope you like it nonetheless.
> 
> Inspiration for Maggie’s wedding dress and accessories: 
> 
> https://oosile.com/20-marvelous-blue-wedding-dress-that-look-more-beautiful-25330/blue-wedding-dress-with-veils-2 
> 
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/541964701/crystal-and-pearl-hair-vine-babys-breath?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=wedding+hair+accessories&ref=sr_gallery-1-3&organic_search_click=1&frs=1&bes=1
> 
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/751855167/tiara-diadem-free-shipping-silver-elven?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=wedding+tiara+elf&ref=sr_gallery-2-6&organic_search_click=1&frs=1&cns=1

**FOUR**

_ The Fellowship Departs  _

Elves sure knew how to throw a party. 

It carried on until early hours of the morning, but Fili and Maggie sneaked out earlier to celebrate their engagement in their own way. Fili had extended a private invitation to Elrond, if he wished to join them but the elf-lord politely declined because it was rude for a host to just disappear from a celebration. That said, he did say he would certainly take them up on their offer at another opportune moment. Maggie had a feeling there would be plenty of those over the next two weeks because if memory served, they were in for a long journey with the Fellowship. The thought of being able to enjoy more private and x-rated moments with both of her men filled Maggie with childish glee and all her sadness over the past few days had all but simmered away. 

Maggie and Fili very much enjoyed their first night together in a very long time. To say that Fili was lust-filled and impatient was an understatement. If most people weren’t already passed out from a night of drunkenness, they rest would surely have heard them. Not that either of them cared and Maggie spent the night in a blissful state in Fili’s company. Just like she had done for the past few nights, Maggie rose early, with the arms of her sleeping blonde dwarf beside her. Her stomach growled again and she carefully removed Fili’s arms, got dressed and sneaked out of the bedroom.  _ I wonder if Elrond stocks oatmeal cookies,  _ she wondered as she walked through the hallways. 

“Maggie!” 

Laura’s voice caught Maggie by surprise and when she turned around, she saw her friend still dressed in yesterday’s clothes. Not to mention her room was in a different part of Elrond’s House, which could only mean she had spent the night elsewhere. A thought that greatly amused Maggie.

"Where have you been?" Maggie asked with faux-suspicion in her voice

"Nowhere…" Laura blatantly lied "Okay, maybe somewhere."

_ So,  _ Maggie thought,  _ I’m not the only one who has had a good night. _

"Do I want to know?"

Another set of footsteps reached their ears and they saw Nat trying to sneak away from them. She was also dressed in the same clothes and just like Laura, her room was in a different part of Elrond’s House. In fact, Elrond had given the girls rooms next to each other and Maggie had her old suite back. Of course, she hadn’t spent a single night in there yet and she wondered how it would feel. The last time she slept in that bedroom was when Theo was only a baby and had trouble sleeping at night. 

"Nat??" Laura asked " _ You're _ doing the walk of shame?"

"It is not a walk of shame." Nat replied "It is a walk of triumph!" 

Nat turned around to them and in the surrealism of the moment, the three girls burst out giggling. Maggie was reminded of their time at university when things like these happened during nights out. Not in their wildest dreams could any of them fathom experiencing similar things in Middle-Earth. 

“Come on, I know a place where we can get some cookies and then we can talk.” 

A few minutes and a stolen cookie jar later, all three girls all sat on Maggie’s bed. 

"I gotta ask Maggie," Nat said as she reached for the cookie jar "What's it like?"

“What’s what like?” Maggie asked

“You know, dating two of them?” Nat replied “Not only is Elrond an elf and Fili a dwarf, but they’re pretty different people. Is it ever difficult?”

Maggie chuckled and was surprised the question hadn’t been asked sooner. She realised that it must seem strange to an outsider. Having romantic and intimate relationships outside your own race was rare in Middle-Earth but to have two partners of different races was something new altogether. On earth, polyamory was nothing new at all and certainly not in the 21st century where all sorts of relationships and lifestyles were practiced and widely accepted. While Middle-Earth was fairly open-minded in some aspects, it still had a way to go when it came to more traditional parts of life such as marriage and love. The Shire was a fine example of that sort of conservative thinking and Maggie recalled the trouble Bilbo and Riley had after their own marriage, as they were not accepted in the Shire and so they had to live in Rivendell. Not that they minded living in Rivendell, they both loved it there but Maggie always wondered what Bilbo’s life looked like upon his return to Hobbiton after such a long time away.    
  
“It was difficult at first, figuring out all the details. When I first told them both how I felt, I hadn’t even kissed either of them and Theo was just born. I didn’t really think they wanted to share me, as it were, but by the time I brought it up they already talked about it and it just went from there.” Maggie told them “The logistics of it were a bit awkward at first, like deciding who would sleep in my bed during what nights. When to have private moments, intimate or otherwise. I remember feeling so awkward and completely terrified. They were so good about all of it and after a while it was just natural. Some nights I spent with Elrond, some nights with Fee and sometimes it was just me and Theo.”

As the old memories resurfaced Maggie smiled and she wondered if there would be enough time over the next two weeks to relive some of those moments. 

“How did everyone else react?” Nat curiously wondered. “Like the other dwarves and elves and Kili’s mother. I hear she’s a bit intimidating..” 

“Oh Dis is fucking terrifying.” Maggie chuckled “To this day, she still scares me. She definitely wasn’t happy, but she didn’t really have a choice. Everyone else was great though and they just accepted it as the most natural thing in the world.”

It was such a relief to finally tell Nat and Laura about everything Maggie had experienced in Middle-Earth. While she had friends like Tauriel, for an incredibly long time she was surrounded by men. They were all lovely, kind and supportive but there were just some things that she could not speak with them about. Not even her brother and therefore it was beyond wonderful to have her two best friends there with her. 

“Real talk though.” Nat announced as she stole a cookie off Laura's hand. “What’s the sex like?” 

Maggie’s cheeks flushed red. That was the other thing she missed talking about and the heat on her face reminded her how long it had been since anyone had asked her questions like that. Even though Riley was a great brother, as well as open-minded, there were some things you just couldn’t divulge to your older sibling. 

“It’s pretty damn amazing.” She said “They’re both so different, it’s difficult to explain.”   
  
“Try us,” Laura urged “Don’t leave out any details. Have you guys ever had a threesome?” 

“Laura!” Maggie buried her face in the pillow.

"OH MY GOD!" Nat shrieked "You have!  _ Come on _ , who can you tell if not your girlfriends?" 

"Okay fine!” Maggie stuck her tongue out at her friend “I thought Elrond would be the gentle one, given his grace and the way he carries himself and sometimes he is, but he’s more firm and he knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. I’ve tried figuring out how to push his buttons but he’s sneaky. It’s actually really frustrating, which he knows so sometimes he’ll just make me wait. When it's the two of them, I don't stand a chance at outsmarting them.” 

“So, Elrond is secretly kinky?” Nat giggled “Who’d have thought! What about Fee?” 

“Fee is more driven by his lust and acts purely on instinct. Most dwarves do and it's usually quite heated.” Maggie said “He doesn’t hold back but at the same time he’s very calculative. Although, it’s also much easier to tease him, because he has much less self-control. Something he proved well when we left the party.” 

“I suppose Elrond does have a few thousand years experience of learning how to contain his excitement, being a Lord and everything." Laura teased and lay back on the bed

“You have no idea how good it is to tell you guys about all of this.” Maggie sighed “I wanted to, so many times but I doubt you’d have believed me.”

“You’re probably right about that. I’m so sorry Maggie, it must have been really lonely for you."

"It was but, we're all here now."

A rare moment of silence fell between them, but it was a comfortable silence. 

"I still can't believe we are in Middle-Earth and about to join the Fellowship." Nat said "No matter how many times I say it, it still feels surreal."

"Yeah," Maggie chuckled. "It'll feel like that for a while but then it just sort of becomes normal. Almost like you wonder why you ever doubted it was real in the first place."

"You two love it here," Laura realised. "You and Riley. We can tell by how everyone treats you guys like family and how happy you are. "

Maggie nodded.

"Middle-Earth is home." she explained "In more ways than one really given that my family is here. Aragorn is technically my sort of great-great whatever great nephew. Then there's Theo, dad and Elrond."

"Not to mention your soon-to-be husband." Nat said "You're marrying a dwarf king!"

"Have you decided when?" Laura asked "What will happen with Elrond?"

"Before we leave, I think."Maggie replied "Fili would have married me in our bedroom, if I hadn't told him we needed to prepare at least a few things. As for Elrond, nothing will change. I'll just have a husband and a boyfriend instead of two boyfriends.” 

The more Maggie thought about it, the more she realised she felt at peace with her decision. She was excited to get married and it was another one of those things she never thought she would do after Thorin. It felt right in many ways and she was glad that nothing changed between her, Fili and Elrond. If anything, it seemed like Elrond and Fili grew closer over the years, which made sense because they both raised Theo together. All in all, Maggie was extremely lucky and she hoped that perhaps that maybe Nat and Laura would find the same happiness she had in Middle-Earth.

* * *

The week following the feast was mainly spent preparing for their journey and for Fili and Maggie’s wedding. They both settled on a fairly small and private affair with their closest friends and family. All the Fellowship were invited to attend, even Boromir although more than anything, the son of Gondor seemed confused. He was polite enough to hold his tongue and not speak ill in front of anyone, but Maggie was sure he found it strange for a human to marry a dwarf. She wondered if he felt like an outside, because out of all the people in the Fellowship, Boromir was the one least familiar with everyone else. A part of Maggie felt that perhaps she had been harsh on him and maybe even judged him too quickly. 

She did try speaking with him but her attempts at polite conversation was met with awkwardness and she figured maybe that was just his nature. Laura definitely had more luck and sometimes, Maggie caught them going for strolls in the gardens and Boromir seemed comfortable in her presence. There was a part of Maggie that felt guilty, because she knew the Lord of the Rings very well, but Laura didn’t, which meant she was unaware of Boromir’s fate. One night, she spoke with Nat and wondered if perhaps they ought to tell her, but Maggie knew more than anyone that sometimes fate could be changed. Fili and Kili never died during the battle of the five armies so maybe Boromir wouldn’t die either? In the end, they decided to let Laura have her happiness, wherever it may lead to. After all, they all loved their friend. 

When the day of the wedding finally arrived, Maggie was filled with dread, excitement and nausea all at the same time. She’d never been one of those women who dreamed about fairytale weddings as a little girl. Now that the day was here, she understood why people got so excited. She’d already learned long ago that elves knew how to party, but until her wedding day she hadn’t realised how talented they were at designing clothes. Elrond had commissioned the best seamstress in Imladris to create Maggie’s wedding dress and when she looked at herself in the mirror, her jaw nearly drapped. She wore a veiled long blue dress that flowed like water, with jewellery in her hair that glittered like starlight in the sunshine. If Fili’s expression was anything to judge by, it was a look that suited her. Fili himself was more gorgeous than usual and Maggie found herself blushing whenever she looked up at him. 

Elrond officiated the wedding and after he gladly pronounced them husband and wife, it was time for another surprise. Maggie assumed that any sort of coronation would take place in Erebor, with the rest of the kingdom present but apparently, they only needed a Wizard to make the announcement. Maggie was sure everyone else could hear her heart beating out of her chest as Gandalf placed the tiara on her head, but as soon as Fili gently squeezed her hand, she felt calm again. 

“I crown you, Margaret Spencer, Queen of Erebor -the last Dwarf Kingdom of Middle-Earth. May you live out your days in peace. Long live the queen!”

The crowd joined in “Long live the queen!” 

“Gimli are you crying?” Nat asked 

“I can’t help it,” Gimli replied and wiped his tears. “Us dwarves are very sentimental when it comes to romance.” 

Naturally, celebrations followed and while Maggie was happy but there was also a sense of melancholy over it because she knew all too well this was probably the last time things would be as peaceful. Of course she was preparing for the journey with the Fellowship, but no matter how much they talked about it or how much she tried to remember all the events, she knew it wouldn’t really help. The quest to Erebor had proved that knowing things didn’t necessarily mean they would come to pass. The five of them had all agreed not to divulge any information to the Fellowship, no matter what happened. 

“May I steal your bride?” Elrond asked “I will only be a moment.”

“You certainly may,” Fili replied, “Although try to return her in one piece?.” 

A spark of mischief showed in Elrond’s eyes. “I can make no such guarantees, Your Majesty.” 

Maggie took Elrond’s arm and they strolled from the wedding reception, down the path to the garden. They had just about a week left in Rivendell and Maggie already knew that missing Elrond and Fili was going to be more difficult than it had ever been. 

“You are a vision.” Elrond told her “And you look happy.” 

“I am very happy and completely smitten.” Maggie replied “I’m so incredibly lucky to have you both.” 

“We are also lucky,  _ melemin _ .”    
  
As dusk fell and the last rays of sunshine shone over the Hidden Valley, Maggie found herself standing on a very familiar stone bridge, over a stream of water. For a long time, this hidden spot had been their sacred place, away from the noise of everything else. Here, there was peace and tranquility and as Maggie looked up at Elrond, she felt as if time itself stood still. The elf-lord gently took her hands and for a while they stood there in a comfortable silence. 

“You are scared.” Maggie realised “You’re worried about what will happen with the Fellowship.”

“I am frightened because I do not wish to lose you again.” Elrond said “Perhaps what frightens me even more is that I know I have no choice but to let you go.”

“I will be back.” Maggie assured him, “After all, I’ve lived through one quest already.” 

Fear was a trait that rarely made itself known in the Lord of Rivendell, yet with Maggie he never hid how he truly felt. She gently stroked his soft cheeks with her thumb and he placed his hand over hers and kissed it softly. 

“ _ Le melithon anuir,”  _ Elrond confessed “ _ Guren min gaim lín _ .” (I will love you forever, my heart is in your hands) 

_ “ _ _ Gi melethig.”  _ Maggie replied _. “Gin melathon an-uir.” ( _ You are my love and I will love you for eternity) _.  _

It was Elrond who closed the distance between with a kiss, Maggie swore to herself that no matter what it took, she would come back to Elrond and Fili. 

* * *

Riley sat on a chair in Bilbo’s room, with a cup of tea in his hand. It was a warm November afternoon and only two days before their departure from Rivendell. To say that he was nervous was a grave understatement, but he tried his best to keep the nerves in check and make the most of the time he had left in Rivendell. He knew this was probably the last time he would see Bilbo in a very long time. Even at his old age, these past two weeks had filled Bilbo with such joy and such youth. Even Frodo said he had never seen the old hobbit quite so energetic before, which is why the idea of leaving everything behind again so much more awful. 

The one thing that had worried Riley since their arrival in Rivendell, was Bilbo’s feelings for him. He thought perhaps they’d changed or faded or that things would be awkward and not the same as they were. That was all nonsense of course and while he was much older, he was still the same old Bilbo he always had been. The same old Bilbo that Riley loved more than life itself. He didn’t necessarily doubt their place in the fellowship, but he couldn’t help but play with the idea of what would happen if they simply did not go. For the past two weeks, Riley and his sister had pretty much gotten their old lives back on track. Hell, Maggie was married now and Queen of Erebor. It seemed strange that either of them should have to leave everything behind again to go do the Valar’s bidding. 

Still, a prophecy was a prophecy. The one part of it that worried Riley was the part that said ‘one of them shall fall’. It had to mean Boromir, right? He was the only one that made sense, yet Riley had a gnawing suspicion that it wasn’t quite so simple. It was a thought that unsettled him and he decided to cast it aside and enjoy the moments he had left. Felix, Laura and Nat were actually getting pretty excited about the whole thing, and why wouldn’t they? Apart from Laura, the other two were just as well-versed in Tolkien literature as Riley and his sister. In fact, he recalled several times when they would read all of them as young children. The first time they heard the Hobbit, every single play time was dictated by Nat who decided they should all build their own hobbit holes (aka blanket forts) and fill them with delicious food and comforts. 

If only the younger versions of themselves could see them now. 

“Here, here! Take it!” said Bilbo’s excited voice and Riley snapped out of his daydreaming “This is sting!”

Riley watched as Frodo weighed the familiar sword in his hand. He remembered clearly the day Bilbo first found Sting in the troll’s cave. It was the very first day the appeared in Middle-Earth and ran into Thorin and Company. It was strange how something that happened so long again (60 years to some) could also seem like only yesterday. 

“It’s so light.” Frodo commented 

“Yes!” Bilbo said “It’s made by the elves you know! And it glows blue when orcs are nearby! It’s times like that when you have to be extra careful, my lad.”

“Certainly warned us of trouble on more than one occasion.” Riley added. “It’ll be a good sword for you, Riley.” 

“Yes Uncle,” Frodo replied and nodded. 

For some reason, Frodo had taken to referring to Riley as uncle, which he still wasn’t used to. He knew it was a sign of affection and respect. He could only imagine that Frodo must have grown up hearing stories about Riley and Maggie. The next thing Bilbo grabbed out of his pile was a familiar shirt given to him long ago by Thorin. Frodo looked even more amazed when he held the shirt in his hand. 

“Mithril!” Bilbo exclaimed “As light as a feather and as hard as a dragon’s scale! Let me see you put it on!”

Frodo excited began to unbutton his shirt, but then something changed in Bilbo’s voice that also caught Riley’s attention. 

“Oh! My old ring! I should very much like to hold it again, one last time.” 

Frodo quickly buttoned up his shirt and as he did Bilbo reached out and hissed aggressively at the young hobbit. Riley immediately stood up and grabbed Bilbo as he staggered back into Riley’s arms. 

“I’m sorry I brought this upon you my boy.” Bilbo apologised “I’m sorry that you must carry this burden.”

Frodo reached out to his uncle but Bilbo instead turned and sobbed into Riley’s arms. Riley had almost forgotten how the ring affected his husband and now that he saw it himself, it was more than enough of a motivator that it had to be destroyed at all cost. Even if it did mean leaving Bilbo behind for the time being. As Riley’s eyes met Frodo’s, he knew that the brown-haired hobbit felt exactly the same thing. 

* * *

Too soon came the day for the fellowship to depart. Each of its members spent their last hours in Rivendell saying goodbye to the people whom they would not see for a long time. In one way, Maggie was glad that Theo was with them but knowing the dangers ahead, she wondered what kind of mother she was to allow her son to go on such a dangerous quest. Maggie had said her goodbyes to Fili and Elrond, but seeing them standing there at the gates of the Hidden Valley made everything suddenly seem so real. 

“The Ring Bearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom.” said Elrond “You who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid upon you to go further than you will. Farewell, hold to your purpose. May the blessings of elves, men and all free-folk go with you.” 

“The Fellowship awaits the Ring Bearer.” Gandalf announced

Frodo seemed to take a few moments to collect himself and then turned around to lead the way out of Rivendell. One by one, they all followed him and when it was only Maggie left, she turned around and took one last glance at her husband and her partner. She didn’t need any words to know what the look in their eyes meant. 

“Come on sis,” Riley said as he put his arms around Maggie, sensing her sadness. “Let’s do this together.” 

They only walked for a short while until Gandalf suddenly blocked their path. No matter how well Maggie and Riley knew Gandalf and how much of a friend he was, it was always intimidating to have a wizard give you a word of caution. 

"The five of you, you know things," said the wizard "I can see it in your eyes. But hear this; it would be wise to keep such knowledge amongst yourselves and tell no one." he said and then walked up to Frodo at the front.

"Gandalf, which way is Mordor, left or right." Frodo asked

"Left,"

And so their journey was begun.

**_To be continued….._ **

* * *

**_  
_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_And they’re off! This is not the most amazing chapter I’ve written and I struggled with it as well because I wanted some key things to happen but I didn’t want to drag out their time in Rivendell. Maybe if I have time I’ll do some sort of DVD extras fic with all the bits that didn’t quite make the final cut. What did you think about everyone’s interactions? Is there anything you’d like to read? I’m also taking suggestions for ships. I don’t want Maggie and Riley to be the only ones with romance! Also, I know the wedding was kind of rushed but I don’t want Maggie’s storyline to overshadow everything because the other four are also important._ **
> 
> **_Anyway leave a review/comment!_ **


	5. Over Sea, Under stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a lot of traveling and Laura meets the Lady of light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh another update! I’m re-reading the old version of this as I make edits so if you’re wondering why some of the writing is different, it’s because this was originally written in like 2013 and it was god awful. I’m trying to get the pacing right with the events of the fellowship without feeling like things are rushed, so let me know what you think about it please. the original version of this was difference scenes that didn’t really make any sense so I’m trying to take it at a slower pace This chapter will mainly be from Laura’s point of view. 
> 
> Also, all my work will now ONLY be posted on Ao3 and I’m discontinuing my posting on fanfiction.net simply for the reason that I have a much more active readership on Ao3 and it’s much less restrictive with regards to what kind of content you can post (smut, etc). 

  
  
  


**FIVE**

_ Over Sea, Under Stone  _

Laura had never been much of an outdoorsy person. Throughout the years, the others always joked and said she was a hobbit at heart because of her fondness of comfort and home. It was her dream to one day own a cottage with a small garden where she could have her vegetable patch and a hammock to read in during warm summer days. After having spent time with Sam and the other hobbits, she now began to understand where the hobbit-joke originated from. Not to mention she certainly had curly hair to match the hobbits, even though hers was much longer. Even Merry thought that perhaps Laura had some hobbit-blood in her genes and he’d seemed immensely disappointed when she told him that in their world hobbits did not exist. 

Ever since they left Rivendell, Gandalf’s words of caution repeated themselves all over in Laura’s mind. She’d certainly seen the Lord of the Rings once or so, but high fantasy wasn’t her genre of choice, she preferred cozy mysteries and the likes of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. She didn’t know the story as well as the others did, so there was certainly no risk of her spilling beans that she should not. 

Spending the past two weeks in Rivendell had given Laura a fair amount of time to truly consider everything that was happening to her. She was in Middle-Earth, a place that was supposed to be fictional but somehow was very real and she was about to embark on probably the most important quest in the history of this world. She couldn’t for the life of her understand why she was chosen to be a part of it. Maggie and Riley spoke about the Valar, who were apparently some god-like entities responsible for the creation and fate of Middle-Earth. It still made little sense to Laura, who never liked adventures even as a child. Other friends would go off running in the woods and she would rather stay home with a book or her drawings. She was no hero, unlike Maggie and Riley who were treated like they were the stuff of legend. 

All the tension between Maggie and Riley over the past year made sense now, at least. The feuding and the not speaking to each other. She’d heard both sides of the story and thought they’d both acted foolishly to some extent, but on a whole she agreed with Maggie. Riley should have told her about this prophecy as soon as he had a moment. While being in a whole different world was a strange thing for Laura and the others to get used to, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must be like for Riley and especially Maggie. Having to leave behind your newborn son against your will, not knowing when or if you’d be able to see him again. Then to suddenly be cast back into this world, sixty years later in this timeline and to finding out your son is almost old enough to be your own grandfather. Maggie had missed out on Theo’s whole childhood and he was an adult now. It was no wonder really, that she had been absolutely furious with Riley. 

Even so, things seemed to be back to normal between them, which was good because those first couple of days of tension had been difficult for all of them to deal with. That night at Nat’s place, when they first decided to bring the two of them together, had all been Laura’s idea. They all knew how stubborn both Maggie and Riley could be and they all agreed that the only way to end this fighting was by forcing them to talk to each other. In some ways, it worked, just not in the way they expected. 

Now there they were, trekking through Middle-Earth on a dangerous question none of them knew the outcome of. Yet, amidst all the confusion, Laura had a strange feeling in her gut that told her this was where she was meant to be. She didn’t understand all of it but she figured it was useless trying to argue with something that had clearly been decided long ago.

Being out on the road was so different and Laura already missed the safety of Rivendell. She immediately understood why Maggie loved it so much and Laura would have been happy to spend the remainder of their stay there. The elves were kind and she found peace in their gardens, where she would often walk with Boromir. The others seemed wary of him and she admitted that on the outside, he might seem harsh. Truthfully, he was kind natured and Laura enjoyed spending time with him. He asked her questions about their world and seemed curious about who she and the others were. When Laura asked about him, Boromir proudly spoke about Gondor - the land of his people where his father was the Steward. Apparently, he also knew Maggie’s father, Lord Amandil (or Alan Spencer as Laura knew him). He said he was a good man but was in ill-favour with the steward because of his family’s heritage. Boromir had no personal quarrel with the Lords of Andunie or House of Elros, but his family had guarded the throne of Gondor for over a century, without the need for a king to be sat upon it. 

Their days on the road soon became routine. They would rise early in the morning, have breakfast and then pack up camp. Then, they would walk for a few hours until they had a break (usually at the request of the hobbits) and then walk again until it was time set camp for the night. Samwise gladly took responsibility over preparing and cooking delicious meals that kept their stomachs full through the night, even though he didn’t have to use much in terms of ingredients. Even though she liked the comforts of a soft mattress, Laura learned she rather enjoyed sleeping under the clear night sky. 

Maggie explained that during their travels with Thorin and Company, the dwarves would often sleep in piles as a way to keep themselves warm. Both Maggie and Riley got so used to it that it was weird to not sleep that way, although they were usually grateful for having more personal space. Some nights, Maggie said, she would find herself nestled between Fili and Kili for warmth.

The fact that Maggie was now queen was another strange thing Laura had to get used to. Obviously, she was beyond happy for her friend, but in her world, people didn’t just become queens seemingly overnight. Things definitely worked differently in Middle-Earth though and Laura wondered what would happen when all of this was over. For Maggie and Riley, their fate was pretty much set in stone; they would stay in Middle-Earth and live out their lives. But what about Nat, Felix and herself? Was there even a way for them to return to their world where they had lives of their own. Laura had a job she loved as a librarian and she had plans of putting down a deposit to buy a house within the next year. She had even begun to look at houses in different parts of the city she lived in and couldn’t wait to start going through Pinterest for decor inspiration. What would happen to her if she just stayed behind in Middle-Earth? Would people even notice that they were missing or would time somehow be different, just like in Narnia? 

A myriad of questions whirled around in her mind and asLaura lay down on her makeshift bed that night, she exhaled a sigh and prayed to any higher power that would listen to her. 

_ Please,  _ she thought,  _ show me a sign of any kind. Is this where am I meant to be?  _

Then, she turned around and closed her eyes, finally drifting into a deep slumber blissfully unaware that if you prayed in Middle-Earth, chances were very likely someone was indeed listening. 

* * *

"I'd say we're taking the long way around. Gandalf, we could pass through the mines of Moria, my cousin Balin would give us a warm welcome."

Laura saw the glint of excitement in Maggie’s eyes when Balin’s name was mentioned. For most of the journey, she kept asking Theo and Gimli questions about how the other dwarves were doing. Thankfully, from what Laura gathered it seemed like they were all still alive and healthy. Before their departure from Rivendell, Gimli had sent a letter by raven (what the hell) to Erebor and told them about the reappearance of their two friends. 

Laura liked Gimli a lot. He was kind, with a good sense of humour and spoke his mind no matter what the others thought. At that particular moment, they had paused atop a hill, deciding on their next route. Laura wasn’t sure what the mines of Moria were, but the tone in Gandalf’s voice scared her a little and she had a feeling that Gandalf was a wizard who did not scare easily. As he and Gimli discussed which direction to head, Laura saw Merry and Pippin practicing sword fighting with Boromir. Although it was more like he was being overthrown by the two hobbits who had him pinned down on the ground calling out ‘for the Shire!’. 

"No Gimli," said Gandalf. "I would not go through Moria unless I had no other choice." 

“What’s wrong with the mines of Moria?” Laura asked. 

“Nothing at all, Miss Laura.” Gimli replied proudly “Gandalf is being silly.” 

“There is a difference between being silly and being cautious, Master Dwarf. If a wizard is cautious, it would be wise to heed his words.” Riley added. “At any rate, surely we are much safer going above ground than beneath it.”

Laura and Maggie exchanged glances, knowing full well why Riley vouched for sticking to their original plan. For someone who didn’t like being underground, being married to a hobbit must make things tricky because as Laura understood it, they literally lived in holes underground. 

“You do not like being underground, Uncle?” Theo asked. 

“Can’t say I particularly care for it that much, Theo. It is called claustrophobia” Riley replied “Humans were not made for being underground any less than we are made to fly.”

“But, do hobbits not live underground? How can you be married to a hobbit if you are unable to share the same housing?” 

Riley turned to his sister who was trying to hide her giggling. 

“Your son has clearly inherited your smartass sense of humour, Your Majesty.” he told her. 

“Call me Your Majesty one more time, Riley Spencer.” Maggie warned him, “And I’ll banish your sorry arse.” 

“Spoken like a true monarch!” 

Maggie stuck her tongue out at her brother and Laura shook her head. Some things never changed but she was glad that the two siblings were back to their usual banter. Her gaze then fell on Legolas who was standing on a rock a few meters away, keeping an eye on for something far off in the distance. The elf seemed very focused and as Laura tried to figure out why, she soon saw something that appeared like a black cloud moving towards them. Except it didn’t move like any cloud Laura had ever seen before and suddenly she found herself feeling scared for the first time since leaving Rivendell. 

"What the hell is that?" Nat asked as she came to stand next to Laura.

"Nothing, it's just a bit of cloud.” Gimli assured them

"It's moving fast and against the wind." said Boromir

"Yeah, way to point out the obvious Sherlock." Felix retorted 

"Crebain," said Legolas in an alarmed voice. His eyes could see far better than anybody else's and he did not like what was coming towards them. "From Dunland!"

"Hide!" Aragorn called out and it only took a mere few seconds until they all had taken cover under what little space there was. The flock of birds, or whatever the hell they were passed by quickly and were soon out of sight but the fellowship still remained hidden until it the coast was truly clear.

"What were those?" Laura asked. Now she was beginning to feel truly afraid. Through most of her life, she hadn't done much traveling before, except for family holidays to the Isle of Wight and one to the Canary Islands on her 16th birthday and there was nothing particularly dangerous about either of those places. The reality of everything was beginning to sink in for her. 

"Spies of Saruman, the passage south is being watched," Gandalf replied as he looked up at the sky mumbling something only audible to himself. "We must take the pass of Caradhras."

* * *

A few hours later and after trekking through even more difficult terrain, the fellowship, now with Gandalf in the front, were on top of a mountain. The most mountain Laura had ever seen was hiking up Snowdonia, which while impressive in its own right, was nothing like Caradhras. They were all struggling, except Legolas who was practically floating on top of the massive drifts of snow. Every now and then, Laura stooped deeper into the snow, only to be pulled up by Aragorn. Boromir was helping the hobbits by carrying them in his arms. Felix, Nat and Riley were helping each other, while Theo kept an eye on Maggie.

"If there's something I hate more than I hate rain, it's snow. It is wet, it's cold and it's deceitful." Maggie whined. She was practically up to her waist in snow and she was beginning to feel that even the elven cloak she was carrying wouldn't be enough to keep her warm. "And let me tell you something else, these shoes definitely ain't made for walking."

"I've never heard anyone describe snow as deceitful before." said Boromir with a chuckle. Something suddenly shook beneath them or maybe even all around them, it was difficult to tell and Felix could swear he heard a voice speaking but he couldn't make out exactly what it said.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf shouted

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must get off!" Aragorn replied.

"We cannot pass over the mountain!" said Gimli "We must go  _ under _ it. Gandalf; let us go through the mines of Moria."

"Well whatever you decide, do it fast." said Felix "We don't exactly have a hell of a lot of time."

"Let the Ring Bearer decide." Gandalf commanded 

Everyone’s eyes fell on Frodo who looked immediately uncomfortable at the thought of having to make such an important decision. Laura had no idea what awaited them within the mines, but she knew that if it was enough to instill fear in Gandalf, then the rest of them should probably be at least a little concerned. 

“We will go through the mines.” Frodo decided 

Laura caught the wizard’s eyes and could almost feel his heart sink. It made the question even louder in her own mind: What was down in the mines of Moria? 

* * *

Laura lost track of time, her feet and joints were all aching. It seemed like climbing down the mountain had taken half a life-time. They rested overnight and rose early to make the final journey towards the mines of Moria. Unlike the plains they’d walked from Rivendell, the area around the mountain were different. Here, the landscape was colder and more barren. There was a lake in front of the mountain but Laura had a feeling it wasn’t the kind of lake one went swimming in, much like you didn’t simply go for a splash in the Thames if you valued your health. They were all exhausted and took a moment to rest outside the stone door, while Gandalf desperately tried to figure out the password, albeit to no success. 

"Bah, it's hopeless!" Gandalf muttered as he sat down on a rock. For the past 45 or so minutes the wizard had desperately tried to open the door which was the entrance to Moria but with no luck at all. None of the spells had worked and it was getting darker outside by the minute.

"Wizard huh?" Laura whispered to Maggie who just shrugged.

Maggie rested her head against Laura’s shoulder and the two women both exhaled tired sighs. Despite Gandalf’s own frustration, nobody seemed to mind the fact that they had a moment to catch their breaths. 

“How are things going with Theo?” Laura asked curiously. “He seems rather protective of you? It’s actually pretty sweet.”

“That’s the dwarrow side of him.” Maggie replied. “All dwarves are protective of things that are theirs, family, loves. But yeah, Theo is amazing. Fili and Elrond did an amazing job raising him and he is every bit the gentleman I hoped he’d be. I feel really lucky because he could have easily festered angry emotions at me but instead, he’s chosen to let me in. It’ll be a long time before we truly get to know each other, and I have to remind myself that I can’t really mother him because he’s a grown man but I think things are going in the right direction.” 

“Dwarrow?”

“It is what the dwarves called themselves and it is the name Mahal gave them when he created them. They’re a surprisingly religious race sometimes with lots of old customs and traditions that I do not always understand. I suppose I shall have to get used to them now.” 

Laura giggled as she listened to her friend.

“You sound like them you know.” she teased “The way you speak, it’s all medieval and like you’ve been living here for a very long time. Riley does it too, it’s quite amusing.” 

“Just you wait,” Maggie chuckled “It’ll happen to you guys before you know it. By the way, things seem to be getting cozy with you and a certain Captain of Gondor.”

Laura quickly hushed Maggie and felt her face flush red with heat. She immediately looked around her to make sure nobody could hear what they were saying. Luckily, Boromir was focused on a conversation with Riley and Felix and the others were too busy doing their own thing to notice them. It surprised Laura that the mention of Boromir’s name made her so nervous so quickly.

“Ah, so you do fancy him.” Maggie teased, “The feelings are definitely mutual, by the looks of it, have you guys talked about it?”

“There hasn’t exactly been time and how can you be sure it’s mutual?” Laura said “Besides, he is much older than I am and maybe it isn’t appropriate what with everything going on.” 

“You’re making excuses and by the way he keeps looking at you, it’s definitely mutual. Also, age is just a number. I mean come on girl, my husband is 142 years old and my boyfriend is literally thousands of years old. Boromir is what? Early forties, I think?”

“You think he wouldn’t find it weird?” 

Maggie shook her head and wrapped her arms around Laura. Out of the five of them, Laura and Maggie had always been the closest. Of course they were both close with Natalie and they loved her like a sister, but Laura and Maggie had more in common when it came to their personalities. They were both more introverted whereas Nat and the boys were extroverts at heart and loved being around people. 

"Wait a minute….it's a riddle." said Frodo who now stood up. "'Speak friend and enter' What's the Elvish word for friend?"

" _ Mellon _ ." said both Maggie and Gandalf at the same time.

"You speak Elvish?" Nat asked and raised an eyebrow at Maggie.

"It's a very long story." Maggie replied and glanced at Legolas who gave her a smile in reply. As Riley looked up at the entrance to Moria he was honestly beginning to feel a little nervous and breathed heavily. He didn't like small spaces, not that Moria was necessarily small but it was dark and it was underground and didn't exactly help. Natalie put a comforting arm around Riley and the fellowship, one by one walked into the darkness that was Moria. What happened in the next few seconds went by so quickly Laura couldn't quite recall it all. Something happened when they were inside, long tentacles grabbed Frodo and tried to pull him out back into the water.

"Hold on Frodo!" Legolas shot an arrow right through the creature, which Laura thought looked a bit like Cthulhu but she kept that bit to herself. Aragorn and Boromir were both able to cut off the creature's tentacles and in its own defence it smashed down the rocks which left the fellowship standing in the darkness but Frodo was safe.

As the door shut behind them, Laura saw nothing but darkness and she understood now why Riley didn’t like closed spaces. 

"We now have but one choice," said Gandalf as his staff lit up their way. It was amazing, Laura thought, and incredibly beautiful in a strange way. They were standing right in the middle of one long hallway with gigantic stone pillars around them. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard, there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."

"Oh that's comforting." said Riley, not hiding his sarcasm.

"You alright mate?" Felix asked

"Oh I'm fabulous; this right here, my idea of fun."

"It will be alright, Uncle.” Frodo assured him. “We’re all here.” 

"Quietly now," Gandalf warned them. He was more than unhappy about being here but they couldn't exactly turn back around so in the end this was the lesser of two evils. "It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope our presence goes by unnoticed."

"Four days? Bloody fantastic! Kill me now, why don't you?" But Riley was going to have to suck it up and continue walking because things were about to get a whole lot worse.

* * *

Eventually, the days started to blend together and the darkness of the mines began to take its toll on everyone, especially Riley who had a panic attack a few hours before they stopped. Gandalf was lost, which wasn’t really surprising considering the size of Moria. Laura couldn’t even begin to describe how surreal it was to be under a mountain and in what was apparently a dwarf kingdom. Although for a kingdom it was deadly silent, a fact which nobody liked and though no one said a word about it, Laura could tell they were all uncomfortable. 

"Ah! That's it! That way!" Gandalf called out

"Thank fuck," Riley exclaimed and couldn't be more relieved. 

“He’s remembered!” Merry said excitedly

"No," said Gandalf "But there air doesn't smell so foul down there. If in doubt Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

They followed Gandalf down a path and suddenly, the space felt much wider than it had previously done and as the wizard staff once more lit up, Laura’s jaw almost literally dropped as she took in the view in front of her. 

"Behold, the great dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." said Gandalf as he lit up the massive dwarf city. Maggie had to admit that it was rather breathtakingly as she looked up at the different levels above her.

"Well, wouldn't that be a cover photo for Facebook?" said Nat. Gandalf led the way through the halls of the city, all of them awestruck by their surroundings.

"Oh bugger it!"

"What?" Laura asked and turned to Maggie.

"I just remembered I left my phone back in Rivendell.” Maggie explained “It still has some batteries in it."

"Ah, don't you fret my dear Margaret." said Felix as he reached into one of his pouches and pulled out his mobile phone. The pure screams of joy by Maggie, Laura and Natalie made Boromir jump a little but they quickly quieted down when Gandalf shot them a very stern 'be silent' look. They walked on for a few minute's until something seemed to have caught Gimli's attention. The dwarf stopped in his steps and appeared to be confused at first, like he wasn't sure what to think. That's when Riley realised and saw the piles of crushed skeletons in the room and then a mortified Gimli running in through doors, sobbing loudly.

"NO!"

"Gimli!"

"Oh my god…." Laura whispered and grabbed Felix's arm. "What…" she looked around herself and wasn't sure what to think or what to say. She stepped on something beneath her that cracked and as she looked down it was another bone. Gandalf had walked up the stone altar in the middle and opened up the book that lay there.

" _ 'Here lies Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria' _ . He is dead, then. It's as I had feared.'" he read which made everyone feel more than a little uncomfortable.

Laura turned to Maggie whose face turned white as a sheet and tears began to stream down her face. Riley was also crying and not even he tried to hide it, stoic as he usually was. It was clear to Laura that the dwarves were much more than friends. They were their family and even though they probably were aware of his fate because of their knowledge of the story, it must still have come as a shock to her. 

"We must move on." Legolas whispered "We cannot linger here."

Gandalf didn't reply, he just continued reading. " _ They have taken the Bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates...but cannot hold them for long...the ground shakes...drums in the deep...we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no- one save us? They are coming _ ."

"'They'?” Nat asked “Who the  _ fuck  _ are 'they'?" 

A sudden noise made them all jump and all eyes turned to Pippin and the young hobbit looked exceptionally guilty. He'd been standing by what looked like a well and accidentally pushed in an old suit of armour.

"Fool of a Took!" the wizard scolded "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

"Uhm, not to make it worse but, Frodo's blade is glowing and that is not a euphemism." Riley pointed out and Frodo pulled out Sting which was glowing bright blue.

"Yeah what the hell does that mean?" Laura asked

"Orcs!" replied Legolas

They weren’t so much orcs as goblins but they had come from out of nowhere and it was impossible to count how many they were but Felix had to guess there were dozens of them. Maybe even more. They burst through the doors which caught everyone off guard and then came the next thing; loud and heavy footsteps and the sound of drums that clearly belonged to something a hell of a lot of bigger than anyone or anything else in that room.

"I know I’ll regret this, but what _ is  _ that?" Felix asked nervously

"Oh. They have a cave troll." Boromir replied sarcastically to Aragorn and Riley who were holding back the second door but soon decided it was pointless because neither of them wanted to be crushed by the troll.  _ Troll,  _ Laura thought,  _ I don't know why I didn't see that one coming? _

Laura froze for a moment as she stared into the eyes of one of the goblins. Brief flashbacks hit her and memories of being captured by orcs had her almost paralyzed until Riley pulled her aside and she snapped out of it.

"Laura, Jesus, use your blade." he told her and Laura suddenly remembered that they had been given weapons before their departure in Rivendell. In fact, most of the two weeks had been spent preparing for combat and being trained by both Aragorn and Theo. Laura wasn’t particularly good at it but she got the basics. 

Even so, Laura struggled in combat; combat was difficult and not as exciting as the movies made it seem and her sword was more the size of a large knife anyway. The lesson she’d had in Rivendell could only get her so far and quite frankly, she was scared senseless.  _ I don't belong here,  _ Laura thought;  _ I wish I was back home.  _ She wasn't supposed to fight battles in some universe she didn't even know existed. As far as Laura was concerned, she was supposed to be back in her room at university eating takeout with her friends. However, she didn't have time to think more about home because when Laura turned around she found herself staring right in the face with a crossbow aimed right at her. Suddenly, the goblin squealed and fell dead before her feat and Laura saw Boromir in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked

"Yeah. Thanks." Laura replied

"Remind me to give you more lessons in sword fighting."

"How about starting now?" At that remark Boromir cut off the head of a goblin passing by and when he turned back to Laura, he nodded.

"Aye," he said "It's a deal."

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Sam called out enthusiastically as he was fighting off goblins and doing pretty good at it.

"Yeah, you and me both!" Felix was at his side and was enjoying it a lot more than he'd intended to. Goblins were disgusting creatures and it felt like the more they killed the more kept coming back. They reminded him quite a bit like cockroaches. The cave troll however, was a lot more frightening and more difficult to kill. Laura had just managed to take cover from a goblin when she suddenly saw the troll grasping Frodo and threw him right across the room in the wall piercing a spear through his chest.

"Frodo!" she shouted and both she and Sam ran up to the hobbit. In the background Merry and Pippin had turned to fighting the troll when Legolas fired an arrow which finally had it falling dead on the floor.

"Frodo please don't die." Laura whispered and to her surprise, as well as everyone else's, Frodo suddenly shook awake and looked at her.

"I'm not dead, Laura" he assured her "I'm alright." He opened up his shirt and when Gimli saw what he was wearing underneath it and that the spear hadn't harmed him at all, the dwarf chuckled.

"Mithril; you're full of surprises Master Baggins."

"Speaking of which," said Maggie as she heard more footsteps and what sounded like drums banging not so far in the distance

"To the bridge of Khazad Dum!" Gandalf told them and they ran. Not that they managed to get very far because once they got out in the large hall they soon found themselves surrounded by goblins.

"For the record," said Nat in a whisper "If I die now, I'm going to haunt  _ all _ of your arses."

Riley was about to reply back but something cut him off; something that sent the goblins scattering off back to wherever they came from and the fellowship were alone again. Except of course they weren't really alone. The first thing Felix saw that set his heart beating almost out of his chest was an orange glow around the corner at the far end of the hall.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked

"I'm, uh…I'm gonna guess and say that that's not a good thing." said Riley

"No Master Riley. A balrog; a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you, " Gandalf replied. Even the wizard was beginning to feel afraid "It is  _ not _ a good thing. Run."

"Yeah, thought as much."

And they ran. Boy did they run.

* * *

Laura had never run so fast before in her life. She didn't know how she found the adrenaline to keep her going but then again she wasn't complaining. She didn't look back at the Balrog, she didn't dare and she prayed to whatever deities that would hear her that they would all get out of this alive. Laura couldn't tell how long they had run for or how far they had left; she just wanted to get out of there and get out into the open again, breathe proper air.

"I can see the bridge!" Felix yelled and so could they. It wasn't too far away at all and they were all beginning to think they would get out of this.

" _ That's _ the bridge?!" Maggie shouted "You've got to be  _ shitting _ me!" But somehow they managed to get across the bridge; Legolas followed by Theo, Laura and Maggie; then Sam, Pippin and Merry, Riley, Felix and Boromir with Nat. Lastly, Aragorn and Frodo. All of them except Gandalf.

"What's he doing?" Felix asked when they turned around to Gandalf who was standing in the middle of the bridge, face to face with the balrog. "Is he insane?"

"He's saving us." Aragorn whispered.

Laura hadn’t fully understood the gravity of their situation, until the Balrog was in their field of vision and Gandalf stood facing the demonic creature on the bridge. Laura’s nostrils were overcome with a foul stench of sulfur and something else she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Watching the Balrog was like being in the middle of a horror movie and she couldn’t understand how something so monstrous could possibly be real. It was only in that moment she truly realised the dangers of the quest she had agreed to go on. 

“You shall not pass!” 

Gandalf’s voice echoed throughout the whole mountain and Laura felt it in the pit of her stomach. 

“I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow.”

The balrog struck it’s flaming sword against Gandalf but the light of his staff protected him. Laura watched in horror, unable to turned her eyes away.

“Go back to the shadow!”

An angry, unfrightened growl.

“ _ YOU _ ! _ SHALL NOT _ !  _ PASS _ !” 

The cracking sound of a whip. A bridge collapsing. 

Three final words of warning.

“Fly you fools.” 

Nobody could recall much of what happened next because it happened so quickly. Following Gandalf’s command, there was a blindingly bright flash of light and the sound of a bridge collapsing beneath their feet. Laura’s mind was overwhelmed and buzzing with a myriad of emotions. The only thing on anyone's mind was to get out as fast as possible. It was only when they actually got out of Moria that it hit them; Gandalf was gone. He had fallen with the balrog and they were one less member of the fellowship. Laura had to put his head between his knees and she swore she was going to be sick but managed not to throw up. Nausea and disorentation took over her senses but none more strongly than the feeling of survival. They were alive and that was all that mattered. 

"Legolas," said Aragorn "Get them up. We have to get moving."

"Give them a moment for pity's sake." Boromir countered and then turned to Maggie. "He listens to you almost as though you were his mother; tell him that we cannot move yet."

“By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up. On your feet, Sam." said Aragorn. 

Aragorn reached down to Maggie but she angrily shook him off and stood up.

“No!” Maggie snapped “Estel, our friend just  _ died  _ in front of our eyes! We can wait for ten goddamned minutes or you will have to carry on alone! You may be a leader, but you are not yet king! Ten minutes is all I am asking for!” 

A moment of silence fell between them and Laura watched as Aragorn nodded and bowed his head as a way to show respect.

“You have ten minutes, Your Majesty.” said the ranger

* * *

By the time they were up and running again (literally running), Laura was beginning to feel out of breath but eventually, they came to the entrance of a huge forest. Something about it immediately felt different. Some forests in the UK, like Nottingham, had a similar feeling to it. Something magical and almost otherworldly. The fellowship immediately slowed down their pace but kept a closer eye on their surroundings.

"Stay close...they say a Sorceress lives in these woods.” Gimli cautioned “An elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell." 

Laura thought she would have been used to it by now, all the magic but when she suddenly heard a haunting, soft female voice speaking to her in her mind, Laura couldn't help but to shiver.  _ Welcome Laura Ainsley,  _ said the voice,  _ you who have been chosen by the Valar for this quest. A quest. The question is, will you survive it or will you fall?  _

Laura snapped out of her thoughts to Gimli’s voice and became aware of her surroundings once more 

"Well, this is one dwarf she'll not get. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox." Of course he'd spoken too soon because they soon found themselves surrounded by arrows.

"The dwarf breathes so loudly we could have shot him in the dark." said a blonde elf walking towards them. He was strikingly beautiful, but then all elves were. 

"Haldir, we need your help.” Aragorn explained “We have come here for protection." 

"These woods are perilous Aragorn.” Gimli protested “We should go back."

"They're elves," said Riley "They're not going to harm us."

At this, Haldir looked up at Riley and raised an eyebrow. If the tension wasn’t so awkward, Laura was sure the elf would have laughed. "And what would you know of the habits of elves little one?" he asked curiously

Riley raised an eyebrow and looked at Maggie. "Did he just call me  _ aier _ ? That's supposed to be  _ your  _ nickname Mags but I'm pretty sure he just used it to insult me."

"Oh Ri, really? Not now.  _ Goheno-nin Master Elf, my brother seldom thinks before he speaks _ ." (Forgive me) Maggie said

"You also speak Elvish my Lady and you carry elven jewellery? I am most curious to know why but that will have to wait. The lady of realms is waiting for you. "

* * *

If Dwarrowdelf was impressive, it was nothing compared to Caras Galadhon. The whole forest was a kingdom. Giant staircases spiralled around the enormous tree trunks and it seemed like the elves lived in the trees. As night fell upon Lothlorien, lights of the moons and stars shone through the veils of the tree crowns. It illuminated the whole forest in such a magical, blinding light. It was nothing short of beautiful and Laura was filled with an intense sense of wonder. Nothing was more beautiful than the Lady Galadriel herself. She greeted the Fellowship alongside her husband and seemed to know immediately that something had gone wrong as Gandalf was not with them. Felix made the old “a balrog of Morgoth” joke but was nudged in the side by Nat who deemed it appropriate altogether. Even though Galadriel was kind and gentle in her voice and manners, Laura sensed everyone’s apprehension and the Fellowship hardly dared looking at her. The elf-queen told them to not let their hearts be troubled and that they would be allowed to rest in Lothlorien for a few days before carrying on with their journey. 

Some time in the night, Laura had given up on sleeping and got the sudden urge to explore. The others were fast asleep around her and as she walked through their camp, she felt almost as though something was pulling her in a certain direction. Eventually, she came to a small clearing and Galadriel was there, as if she had been waiting for her. Strangely enough though, Laura wasn’t scared. 

“Will you also look into the mirror?” Galadriel asked “You eyes are filled with questions.” 

“I’m afraid of what I’ll see.“ Laura replied “But I also want to know.” 

Galadriel poured water in the mirror and Laura glanced into its reflection. At first, she saw nothing but then several images began to appear before her eyes. They showed different things, some of which had already happened. It showed their time in Rivendell and Laura saw images of her and Boromir together. Then, the scenes changed and Laura saw battle unlike anything she had ever seen depicted before. There were horrible cries of pain, the sound of swords clashing against each other and bodies falling dead to the ground. She saw a close up of a pair of lifeless brown eyes but she had no idea who they belonged to. The scenes changed again and Laura was back to her and Boromir. She saw herself running towards him as he picked her up in his arms and spun her around. It almost seemed like they hadn’t seen each other for a very long time. Next, she was with the fellowship in a forest swarmed by orcs. She’d lost track of the others and found herself locking eyes with Frodo. Then, Laura saw herself hiking a narrow path up a mountain pass with Frodo and Sam but there was another creature with them. A creature with an ill favored look. There was no sign of the others in this visions and as quickly as they had appeared,

“Are these things that are going to happen to us?” Laura asked “We’re all going to split up?” 

“Even I cannot truly know what the future holds.” Galadriel replies “The mirror shows one of many options of paths for us to take.” 

Laura knew then that she wasn’t meant to follow the others all the way through. She wasn’t exactly sure how she knew but her gut instinct told her that the things in the mirror were true. 

“My path is with Frodo and Sam.” Laura guessed. “I don’t like the idea of leaving my friends in this strange world, but I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do.” 

“We all fear the unknown,” Galadriel told her “But as long as we hold true to what is in our heart, our path will be guided by light.”

“I’m not sure that makes me feel any better.”

Galadriel only smiled in a way that made Laura feel strangely reassured, despite being afraid at the same time. 

“You have something else that troubles you.” Galadriel guessed “You wonder about your fate with the young Captain of Gondor?” 

“I just...I’m not sure if it’s wise to pursue something in the middle of all of this or if he even feels the same.” 

It felt so silly, Laura thought, to ask advice about something so personal and perhaps also unimportant. Galadriel didn’t seem to mind though and instead, she gently grabbed Laura’s hands and she immediately felt calmer. 

“Do not fill your mind with insecurities, child.” Galadriel told her “You have captured the heart of the young Captain of Gondor, but time will show if your paths will stay entwined. Go back to sleep now, your heart is still heavy with sorrow.” 

And for the first time in a while since arriving in Middle-Earth, Laura fell into a deep and dreamless slumber. 

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that was a huge chapter with a lot of things going on. I’m sorry if it felt a bit rushed but there’s a lot that happens in the movie as well. What did you think of Laura’s point of view? I’m trying to flesh out the newbies a little more to get a better idea of what they are like and to get to know them a bit more. Please leave a review! 


	6. Parting of Ways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a lot of things happen and Maggie receives a special gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: My whole region is currently in Covid-19 lockdown and I’m working from home, so that means you get more frequent updates! A special shoutout to “Green” who gave me the idea of the dream-sequence in this chapter. This won’t be as long as the previous one and it’ll certainly have one or two surprises! 
> 
> Also just to clear up some confusion in the previous chapter, that orc-scene Laura saw in the mirror wasn’t meant to be flashbacks it was meant to be looking ahead. The POV shifts here, so apologies if it gets confusing. Lots to cover as always. Enjoy it!
> 
> **_*Content Warning: mild smut, because dream magic*_ **

**SIX**

_ Parting of Ways  _

_   
_ _ Maggie knew something was strange, because when she opened her eyes she was not in her bed in Lothlorien. She was back in Rivendell and stood in one of the many cozy outdoor areas, overlooking a more secluded part of the gardens. It was a warm autumn morning and a crisp breeze rustled the leaves. Somewhere in the distance, the waterfall roared and Maggie saw Elrond sitting on a divan. He was particularly strikingly gorgeous in the sunlight and the silver robe he wore sparkled in the light. If Maggie’s jaw could literally drop, it surely would have by then.  _

_ “Elrond? Is this real or am I dreaming?” Maggie asked  _

_ “Just because you are dreaming, it does not make it less real.” Elrond replied  _

_ Elrond reached for Maggie’s hand and gently pulled her down so that she sat with both legs across his lap. The elf-lord captured her lips in an eager kiss and a wave of his rushed through her like electricity. As her lover continued to kiss her, Maggie clutched Elrond’s robes as her body responded to his kisses by trembling. When they finally broke the kiss and Maggie pulled away, a particularly mischievous and self-gratifying smile tugged at his lips.  _

_ “You brought me here because you’re horny?” Maggie teased “I thought you had more self-control than-” _

_ In a fluid movement, Elrond had flipped Maggie over and placed her on the divan.  _ _ Maggie’s laugh turned into a soft moan as Elrond trailed more kisses below her ear. She closed her eyes, reveling in his touch and whimpered when his soft warmth left you. In the vicinity of her eyes, Maggie noticed they weren’t alone and she saw Fili’s familiar figure standing a few feet away. She wondered how long he had been standing there.  _

_ “Hir-nin Elrond,” Maggie giggled. “You’re making my husband jealous.”  _

_ “Shall we invite him to join us?” Elrond asked with a hint of mischief in his voice “Or do you think he’d like to watch?” _

_ "I think I should like to do both." Fili announced "That is, if Her Majesty approves."  _

_ Maggie responded with a simple nod, feeling both incredibly excited and overwhelmed by the whole situation . _

_ “Well, in that case.”  _

_ Elrond turned his attention to Maggie again and dove back to her neck. His touch grew more urgent and possessive. It didn’t take long before Maggie was entirely lost in the moment.  _

* * *

When Maggie woke up properly, she was once again back in Lothlorien. The early morning rays of sunshine peered through the canopes and despite the horrible events in Moria, she felt well rested. Perhaps, she wondered, there was some kind of healing magic in the forest. As the remaining feeling of sleep left her body and Maggie began to feel more awake, she remembered the events of her dream with Elrond and Fili. She couldn’t help but feel a bit spoiled because of Elrond’s magical abilities. It wasn’t as if Riley could magically transport himself to Rivendell so he could be with Bilbo, if only for a night. 

“Just to be clear, you’re telling us that you had dream sex?” Nat asked “With Elrond  _ and  _ Fili? How is that even possible?” 

A few hours later, after they all had breakfast and were beginning to pack up their belongings, Maggie was able to sit down with Laura and Nat. The first thing she noticed was that something seemed to be a little off with Laura and when they asked her, she told them about her meeting with Galadriel. Their friend explained that the Lady of Lorien had asked her to look inside the mirror and when she did, Laura had seen things that might happen. When she got to the part with the breaking of the Fellowship, Maggie’s heart sank. She’d almost forgotten that eventually, they would all part ways but she somehow assumed the five of them would stay together. Now that she knew that wasn’t the case, the reality of the quest began to sink in. Even though the three of them were all strong women, the idea of Laura trekking through Mordor with Frodo and Sam scared her. That’s why at first, she felt a bit silly when they changed the subject, but actually, talking about something more lighthearted made everything a bit easier. 

“Because magic?” Maggie guessed. “I know Elrond has it, I sometimes just forget to what extent.”

“What was it like?” Laura asked “Did it feel real?” 

Maggie leaned back against a giant tree trunk and tried to wrap her head around her experience. Every bit of it had been real and she could clearly recall the tingling sensation she was left. 

“It  _ was  _ real,” Maggie replied “I know it was a dream but it still happened. Here I can prove it.” 

Maggie pulled down her tunic and showed the two girls a couple of bite marks on her collarbone. Nat and Laura peeked at the blue round circle and giggled. 

“Your life is like a literal fairytale.” Nat said

Her voice sounded wishful, but from what Maggie could tell, Nat had experienced her own bit of fairytale during the welcome feast. As she opened her mouth and was about to respond, Maggie saw Aragorn in the vicinity of her eyes. Things had been a bit tense between them since Moria and they had not spoken. Maggie excused herself and went to find Aragorn who rolled up his belongings and prepared for the rest of the journey. 

“Estel...I mean Aragorn.” Maggie said quietly 

Aragorn turned to Maggie but didn’t reply, so she sat down next to him. She knew that she’d lost her temper before and spoke without considering the words that came out of her mouth. Aragorn was not a child anymore and nor was she his mother, so she had no right to berate him. They were equals and had always been.

“I’m sorry about what happened yesterday.” Maggie apologised. “I didn’t mean to undermine you and certainly not yell at you. I know you were trying to do the right thing and I was just upset.”

“There is nothing to forgive, Maggie.” Aragorn assured her. “It has been stressful for all of us and you were looking out for those you care about.” 

Aragorn placed a kiss on her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 

“How are you feeling?” Maggie asked “Gandalf was your friend too.”

“My heart is heavy with sorrow.” Aragorn replied “Yet, I know I must find the strength to carry on. Grief cannot halt the quest for too much relies on it. Gandalf was our leader and now we have none.” 

Hearing Aragorn speak like a wise old man was strange, seeing as in her eyes, Maggie knew him as a small and mischievous child. 

“We have  _ you _ .” She told him. “Without Gandalf, the Fellowship will look to you for guidance.” 

“I fear where this path will take me.” Aragorn explained “Long ago, Lord Elrond revealed my heritage and told me of Isildur, the son of your brother Elendil. I know that he is my ancestor and that my place is on the throne of Gondor, yet I am not sure I want it. If I lead the Fellowship, no doubt 

“Estel..” Maggie said softly “Even as a child, you only ever wanted to do the right thing. Do you remember that time I was kidnapped? You went out of your way to sneak out of Elrond’s House to find me. Even when you were caught, you remained strong because you felt like it was what you needed to do.” 

Aragorn nodded. “I remember.” he said “I also recall how frightened you were and all I could think was how much I hated those men for what they did to you.” 

“You refused to leave my side for weeks after that.” 

A silence fell between them for a few moments, but it was a comfortable one. 

“I know you are Theo’s mother,” Aragorn said “But I love you as though you are also mine.” 

Hearing those words from Aragorn filled Maggie with unspeakable joy and she tried to not cry, yet happy tears still fell from her eyes. “I love you too.”

“I heard you had some interesting dreams last night?” Aragorn teased 

“Oh for the love of---nothing stays private here.” 

* * *

"Sit. Still. For God's sake." Boromir winced as Laura cleaned the wounds on his face. The two of them were sitting a bit further away from the rest of the group and Laura found she actually quite liked it. Not that she didn't enjoy the other's company but a little privacy was nice, at least after what they had all been through.

"Women in your world seem to have a way with words. Tell me something, have you always been this polite?" Boromir mused as he stroked a strand of hair out of Laura’s face and she found herself blushing a little.

"Do you have a husband?" Boromir asked which caught Laura a bit off guard

"Tell me something, are you always this forward?"

"I'm merely curious."

Laura smiled and washed the cloth in some hot water. "No, I'm not married."

"Betrothed then?"

"Nope. I don't even have a boyfriend these days." Boromir couldn't understand it; surely a woman as beautiful as Laura ought to be married or at least engaged. Had she been in Gondor she would have had trouble choosing but in that aspect, Boromir was glad he had her to himself at least for a little bit. As Laura was about to continue cleaning Boromir's wounds he instead took her hand in his and Laura could swear she felt her heart jumping out of her chest.

And then he kissed her.

* * *

Maggie slept uneasily that night. She kept on twisting and turning and dreamt dreams she could only barely remember by the time she woke up but perhaps that was a good thing. When morning and the Fellowship gathered the rest of their belongings, they were also provided with provisions such food and other things by the elves. Before they set off they were gathered in front of Lady Galadriel by the river. She presented gifts to Boromir, Theo, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the hobbits and then she stood in front of Felix and Natalie.

"To you Felix and Natalie, I give these blades to keep you swift on your feet in times of battle. May them serve you well." 

“Elven blades,” Felix said,  _ “ _ That certainly beats any Christmas or birthday present I have ever got.”

Next, Galadriel moved to Riley and Laura. 

"To you Riley, I give you this bow to fend both yourself and others."

"I knew I took archery for a reason." said Riley. 

"And you Laura, you need no sword or bow.” Galadriel said “I give you this journal; may it bring hope in dark times."

When Galadriel stood in front of Maggie, her heart began to beat faster and she suddenly felt very nervous. Her gaze fell to the ground but Galadriel gently tipped up her head. She gave Maggie a warm smile which somehow made her feel a lot better. 

“To you Maragaret, there is no physical gift I can give but I can offer you a glance of something that has long since been on your mind.” 

Maggie followed the gesture of Galadriel’s hand as she invited her to look into the water. At first, she saw nothing but her own reflection but then images began to appear in the water like memories of a time long ago. She saw Theo as a baby being held by Lord Elrond as he tried to sooth him and stop him from crying. Next she saw a young Theo, perhaps three or four years old running across the grass while playing a game of tag with Estel. Then, Theo ran straight into the arms of Fili who picked him and spun him around as though he was his own son. The next few scenes were various stages of Theo’s childhood and his life in Rivendell. From what Maggie could tell, it was a happy childhood filled with love and adventure. One scene in particular caught Maggie’s attention. Her father sat on Theo’s bed one night when he must have been in his early teens. Her father showed him Riley’s old iPhone and Theo seemed to be mesmerised by the strange contraption. Amandil showed his grandson photographs of Maggie and Riley and then gave the phone to Theo. Almost every night since, Theo would look at pictures of Maggie on the phone and keep it treasured. As he grew older, Theo travelled with Aragorn and they seemed to have shared in a few adventures but he always came back to Rivendell where he was greeted with love. 

As the images faded and all she saw in the water was her own reflection, Maggie realised she was crying. She knew Theo had seen the images as well because as his eyes met hers, she could tell that he too had been crying. She thanked Galadrield but Maggie also knew that no words of thanks could possibly explain what it was like to actually see the life her son had had without her. Above all she felt relief, knowing that Theo was happy in her absences and that he had been raised well by Fili, Elrond and her father. 

Maggie sat in silence for most of the journey across the river, her mind occupied by many things. After a few hours of paddling, they finally pulled into shore and began to set up camp for the night. 

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot.” Aragorn said “We approach Mordor from the North."

"Oh, yes," Gimli was neither impressed nor looking forward to the particular chosen path. "It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that it gets even better...a festering, stinking marshland, far as the eye can see."

"It can't be that bad?” Nat asked “Can it?” 

"That is our road…” Aragorn said “I suggest you take your rest Master Dwarf and recover your strength." Aragorn added

"Recover my—"

"It isn't the Eastern shore that worries me." Legolas told them. Maggie could sense that he’d been feeling uneasy for quite a long while now. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it."

"Speaking of worrying….where's Frodo?" Maggie asked as she looked around and realised that the ringbearer wasn't there.

* * *

Laura thought she was the one who found Frodo first, but it was Boromir who did. She stayed hidden behind a tree and watched the scene play out in front of her. Truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure what to do or how to react. The way Boromir was acting was completely different from how he usually was, especially with her. She didn't really dare interrupting them but at the same time she couldn't just stand by in case Boromir actually did hurt Frodo. Other than Boromir, out of all the members of the Fellowship it was Frodo she felt like she had connected with; at least in terms of friendship and she was pretty sure he thought the same way of her. Then suddenly, something happened Laura didn't expect – Frodo disappeared and Boromir called out to him desperately asking for forgiveness and then when he was out of sight Laura saw Frodo appear again on a set of stone tables not too far away. She also saw that Aragorn had also found them. 

"Frodo." Aragorn had caught up with him and the hobbit jumped and seemed to shy away from Aragorn.

"Stay away!" Frodo warned, with fear in his voice. 

"Frodo!" Laura called out as she ran out from behind the trees. "It's just Aragorn." she told him and the Ring Bearer looked at them sceptically .

"Frodo, I swore to protect you." Aragorn told him

"Can you protect me from yourself?" Frodo asked 

"I would have gone with you to the end, to the very fires of Mordor." Aragorn turned to Laura and she knew then what she had to do. She didn't want to leave the others, her friends but she knew that this was her part in the quest. It was what she was meant to do and when Laura turned to Frodo she could see that he also knew.

"I have to go too don't I?" she said and then looked at Aragorn "Will you look after the others?"

"Especially Sam," Frodo added "He won't understand."

"Frodo…." Laura gestured towards his blade which was glowing blue and that only meant one thing. Orcs.

Aragorn nodded. "You have my word. Quickly now; run."

* * *

So much had happened over a short amount of time and Riley’s head was spinning. They were in danger and they needed to find a way out quickly. Yet Riley’s first instinct was to protect Merry and Pippin, rather than himself. 

"Riley! Look! It's Frodo and Laura!" Merry was right. Riley saw Laura and Frodo running fast as they could down the slope towards the sea. When he heard heavy footsteps approaching them Riley grabbed the two hobbits and they hid behind a tree. Frodo had heard them and when the ringbearer turned around and met their eyes, Riley, Merry and Pippin all knew what it meant.

"They're leaving." Riley said and there was nothing they could do to change that. They could only help them and so when the orcs finally swarmed the place Riley and the hobbit all got the same idea. Once they came out of their hiding place the orcs caught their attention and Frodo and Laura could make their escape.

"Hey!" Riley shouted as one of the orcs was about to attack Pippin from behind. "Don't you touch them!" It turned around to him and Riley got ready to fire his arrow but before he got the chance to do so, Boromir appeared from out of nowhere in front of him and cut down the orc in front of Riley.

"Protect the halflings!" Boromir called to Riley "Go!" Before Riley knew it the three of them were all grabbed and picked up by the orcs who marched away with them and there was nothing they could do. The last thing Riley saw before the carried them out of sight was Boromir fighting off the orcs single-handedly.

* * *

By the time Nat, Maggie and Felix finally found Aragorn again the woods were swarmed with orcs and once again they found themselves in battle. The adrenaline soon kicked in and Nat cut the head off an orc and when the next closed up on Maggie, Nat stabbed it and the creature fell dead on the ground. She’d always been the one in the group who enjoyed adventure sports, but combating fantasy creatures was a new experience altogether. Still, the thrill remained the same. 

"Maggie!" she called out and helped up her friend. 

"Shit me that was close." Maggie said. Something then caught their attention; the sound of a horn blowing in the distance.

"That's Boromir's horn." said Aragorn and they all dashed off through the woods hurrying off in the direction of the sound, killing off as many orcs along the way as possible. When they finally saw Boromir he was laid wounded against a tree they rushed up towards him.

"Boromir!"

"They took the little ones….and Riley." Boromir's voice was weak and his leg was bleeding.  _ What?  _ Maggie thought,  _ Riley's gone? _

Aragorn immediately began to bind Boromir’s wound and chanted words in elvish but Maggie couldn’t understand what was happening. She knew the Fellowship of the Ring very well, both movies and book. The one thing that remained a constant factor was the death of Boromir. His death is what drove the Fellowship forward. It was probably the most significant event in the whole timeline and yet somehow, things had changed. The prophecy had been very clear; one of them was going to die and Maggie just assumed that it would be Boromir because that was the way it always was, yet that is not what had happened. 

Boromir was alive. 

* * *

“I have to admit something." Laura said as Frodo pushed the boat into the water.

"What?" he asked

"I'm terrified." When Frodo climbed iside the boat he looked at Laura and took her hand.

"So am I," he told her "But we have each other."

They did have each other, Laura knew, but she was also alone. Things had taken a very drastic turn and she wasn’t sure how to comprehend those feelings. Something told her it would be a very long time before she saw her friends again and that terrified her. 

"Mr. Frodo!" Frodo and Laura turned around to Sam who was running towards them, desperately trying to catch up with them and waded through the water.

"Go back Sam! You can't swim!" but Sam didn't listen and when Laura realised that he was going to drown she screamed and Frodo reached into the water, luckily grabbing Sam's arm and pulled him up onto the boat in time.

"What were you thinking?!" Laura asked as she was crying

"I made a promise Mr. Frodo. A promise. 'Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee' and I don't mean to, I don't mean to."

Laura threw her arms around Sam and hugged the blonde hobbits as they kept crying. Sam’s loyalty and devotion to Frodo was unlike any other friendship she’d seen. She knew in that moment that no matter what happened, they would be alright because Samwise Gamgee was with them. 

* * *

By nightfall, all orcs were either dead or had evacuated the area. Boromir’s wounds were patched up were Aragorn, who seemed to think he would heal within a few days but it would be painful for some time. The fact that Boromir was alive, by some miracle, worried Maggie and as she pulled Felix and Nat aside, she already knew they had the same concern. During her journey with the dwarves, it became clear that their presence had affected and changed the original timeline but this was a completely different level than before. It was worrisome because it meant nothing was certain anymore. They couldn’t rely on their knowledge of the books to navigate through the rest of the journey. They were literally going in blind and it was unsettling. One part of Maggie was of course happy that Boromir was alive, because it meant that Laura would have a real chance at happiness with him. The uncertainty of everything made Maggie feel nauseated and a familiar sharp panic formed inside her. The same thoughts kept repeating over and over in her mind. 

Riley was taken. 

Laura was somewhere with Frodo and Sam. 

Would they see each other again? Was that the last time she’d spoken to her brother. 

Riley was gone. 

“Mother.” Theo crouched in front of Maggie and gently put his hands on either side of her face. “ _ Naneth.  _ Look at me. Cousin Fee told me this sometimes happens, but you will be fine.” 

Theo gently stroked Maggie’s hair and rested his forehead against hers, while he whispered words in Khuzdul she could not understand. After a while, she began to feel calmer and Theo helped her back up on her feet. 

"What are we going to do now?" Nat asked

"I will not abandon Merry, Riley and Pippin to torment and death.” Aragorn said and then a glint of determination showed in his eyes. “Let us hunt some orc."

"Ah," said Felix and sighed "This means we're gonna have to run again doesn't it?"

**_To be continued….._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done! Lots happened here but I always forget that the end of FOTR is very much all over the place. Boromir lives! But the prophecy says someone is definitely going to die so who is it? We also got some cute Maggie/Theo and Maggie/Aragorn bonding moments. What did you guys think? Please let me know 


	7. Welcome to Rohan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we go to Rohan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m having so much fun re-writing these and getting to know these characters again, as well as fleshing them out more. The Two Towers and Return of the King cut back and forth between different scenes to follow each different journey so I’m going to stick to that format but I’ll try to not rush it so much. 

**SEVEN**

_ Welcome to Rohan _

Felix was no athlete. Sure, he was a football player but not even at a professional or semi-professional level. It was more on a ’coaching his local youth-team for fun’ level. He liked to keep fit and tried going for runs if he woke up on time in the mornings, but the terrain he was used to was a lot flatter than Middle-Earth. He didn’t exactly have to watch his footing so he didn’t fall over a root or a slipped on a rock. The plains of Middle-Earth were rocky and uneven and reminded him of a lot of places like Dartmoor. Hell, they’d even passed a few bogs over the past few weeks of running. 

Boromir’s injuries meant they had to take the first few days at a slower pace, but thanks to Aragorn’s healing the Captain of Gondor recovered quite quickly. While the others were relieved that Boromir survived, Felix, Nat and Maggie were wary. They all knew the story well and knew that he should have died defending Merry and Pippin. For some reason however, fate had changed his course and allowed him to live. It was concerning for many reasons, because the prophecy still spoke of someone dying and if it wasn’t Boromir, then it meant someone else surely would. Boromir also sensed the trio’s unease around him which made Felix feel a bit guilty because he couldn’t possibly have known he was supposed to die or that his life had been spared. Still, it had set them all on age, especially with Laura and Riley now with the hobbits. 

In his heart, Felix knew that both Laura and Riley would be alright. Laura was a strong woman and the hobbits were lucky to have her with them. She was quick-witted and always knew the right thing to do. Riley would also be fine but Felix didn’t like the idea of him traveling with the Uruk Hai, who were nothing if not predictable. If he remembered correctly though, the Uruk Hai would keep Riley, Merry and Pippin alive because they probably thought they were Frodo and Sam. 

There was absolutely no way of telling when they would see their friends ago and that thought scared Felix. It wasn’t long ago that he accepted that Middle-Earth was a very real place and that for some unknown reason, he was chosen to be a part of the Fellowship. Now, his best friend was god knows where and Felix couldn’t help but long for home and his old life. It was strange really, he knew it had only just over a month and a half since their arrival in Middle-Earth but he felt like he’d been there for much longer. 

Adapting to new places wasn’t something strange to Felix. Just before Maggie and Riley came back from their family holiday in Wales, he’d been solo-traveling through SouthEast Asia for a few months. As a child, he’d always dreamt of traveling and he grew up hearing of his parents adventures in the 70s and 80s. It was during one of their many trips abroad where they’d met Maggie and Riley’s parents. It was strange to think that Alan Spencer was the legendary Lord Amandil whose struggles with Sauron had come to change the very timeline of Middle-Earth. Somehow, it also made sense because as a child Felix remembered thinking that Alan Spencer never seemed to age and carried himself almost like a king. 

Speaking of kings, Felix still couldn’t believe that Maggie had actually married one. Then of course there was her other relationship with Lord Elrond. Polyamory was nothing known to Felix and he certainly wasn’t one to judge. Felix had only spoken a little to Fili and Elrond but from what he already knew and from what he could tell, they both loved Maggie and had no intentions on ever hurting her. Maggie was happy and that was all he cared about. Once upon a time, he hoped that he could be the one to make her happy and for just over a year, they had been but as these things go, it didn’t work out in the long run. 

"Okay," Felix bent down, his head between his knees and panted heavily "Stop running. Please, for the love of God."

"Good call laddie!" Gimli agreed, obviously equally exhausted. Truthfully, Felix had lost all track of how long they'd been running for; it could be days just as well as it could be weeks and quite frankly she was tiring as well. They all stopped and Aragorn agreed they could have a break for a few minutes. Felix was the first one to lie flat out on the grass and he didn't even care about how damp the ground was after last night's rain.

"I thought you were supposed to be a football player." Natalie said. "Running's kind of meant to be your thing.” 

"Yeah well, maybe it's not my calling anymore.." Felix saw how Maggie rolled her eyes, no doubt wondering if their constant bickering would ever stop; but nevertheless the break was welcomed. Aragorn agreed to have a break and Felix stretched out on the ground. He was definitely way more out of shape than he thought he was. The girls were sat resting on a nearby large rock, Legolas ran ahead to keep a lookout and Theo talked with Aragorn. During travelling, Theo seemed to have made it his job to look after Maggie and make sure she was alright. That was another thing Felix couldn’t quite wrap his head around; Maggie was a mum but her son was almost old enough to be her grandfather. 

Felix had been closing his eyes and letting the rays of sunshine kiss his face, when he felt a shadow looming over him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Boromir who carried a worried expression on his face and then sat down next to him. The Captain of Gondor spoke so abruptly it caught Felix off guard. 

“You all look at me as though I am a ghost.” Boromir said “Do not deny it, Felix I have noticed it ever since we started hunting the orcs.” 

  
If anything, Felix supposed the question should have come as no surprise. It still dumbfounded him and for a few moments he didn’t know what to say. Gandalf warned them that divulging too much information was dangerous, but by now, most of that was moot and things had already begun to change. Felix wasn’t necessarily angry with Boromir, that would be highly unfair but he was frustrated with the whole situation and the uncertainty of everything. 

Back home, his life was done by routine and he was used to it. Sure, when he was travelling life was more chaotic but even then it was under his control. So, Felix made a decision and if he was going to suffer for it later then so be it. It wasn’t fair to keep Boromir in the dark and everyone else already knew about the prophecy. 

“Truthfully, mate.” Felix said “You should be a ghost.” 

Boromir frowned as if he was trying to make sense of Felix’s words. 

“What do you mean?” he asked warily 

“I mean that you should be dead.” Felix replied bluntly and louder than he’d intended because Maggie and Nat turned their attention to him. “You were supposed to have died in that orc attack. Yet somehow, you survived. A part of me is thrilled because that means when Laura sees you, you guys can pick up where you left off. However, I’m also worried and scared. Maggie and Riley mentioned a prophecy that tells about the Fellowship quest and us joining it. It also very clearly foretold of someone dying, which we thought was you. Now, I’m not an expert on these things, but the way I see it there is a balance in the universe. If one life was spared that means another life will surely be taken and that leaves me wondering who it will be. Does it mean you’re going to die at another point in time or will it be one of us? I don’t know about you Boromir, but either way I gotta say I’m not overly thrilled about our prospects.” 

For a while, Boromir didn’t say anything and Felix could almost see the wheels turning in his head. Had he been too harsh?

“I see….” Boromir finally said quietly. “My being alive seems to have caused you some inconvenience.. It was certainly not my attention but I can assure you, I do not wish for anyone to die. Least of all Miss Laura, whom as you’ve noticed I care for very deeply. If there is indeed a balance, then I will take it as my duty to see this quest through, no matter where it might lead us. I sense you are wary of me and I know that I have not always been easy or perhaps even kind. Perhaps you have a right to be angry with me, but I wish that you would try to trust me.” 

Boromir spoke no more and then left Felix to his own company. He turned his glance to Maggie and Nat who simply raised an eyebrow at him but they did not scold him like he thought they would. Then, something else caught Felix’s attention as his gaze turned to Aragorn who seemed to have found something small lying on the ground. When the ranger picked it up, Felix also noticed that it was one of the leaf shaped brooches holding their cloaks together. 

"Estel?" Maggie asked “What’s wrong?” 

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." the Ranger turned around to Legolas who was standing on a cliff not too far off, looking out over the view ahead of them. "Legolas what do your elf-eyes see?"

Nat turned to Felix who counted down "Three. Two. One. They're…"

"They're taking the hobbits to Isengard."

"We have to leave. They orcs are not too far ahead." said Aragorn

Felix exhaled an exasperated breath. "And here we go again."

* * *

When Riley finally opened his eyes again and regained consciousness he wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been out for. The first thing that he did was the most pungent smell he’d ever inhaled.  _ Orcs,  _ he realised,  _ I'm being carried by an orc.  _ His sense of location was entirely off and what he knew of the Middle-Earth terrain was most likely useless as his knowledge only extended to the North West. Not to mention things had undoubtedly changed over the past sixty years. The orcs were marching incredibly fast and the rocky terrain was beyond bumpy and uncomfortable. It was almost akin to driving on roads with several potholes. Riley wondered exactly where they were headed but whatever their destination was, it couldn’t be good. A million thoughts whirled around in his mind but one thing was for sure; travelling with the Fellowship was not what he expected. Truthfully, he didn't really know what he had expected from the quest. One part of him assumed he would be going with Aragorn and the others but he felt in his heart that he was supposed to look after Merry and Pippin. Once again, he’d parted ways with the rest of the party he was supposed to be travelling with. 

Of course he worried about the others, especially Laura who was off on her way to Mordor with Frodo and Sam. Laura had little knowledge of the events of the Lord of the Rings and Riley felt guilty because perhaps he should have warned her. Movies, he thought, did not depict adventures in a realistic way and certainly left out all the anxieties and uncertainties. He knew that his fate or even destiny was to follow the journey through with the fellowship. More than anything though, Riley missed Bilbo and wanted to be back in Rivendell with him.

"Riley! You're awake!"

Riley snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Pippin who was hanging from the back of another orc marching next to him.

"Are you alright Pippin?" Riley asked 

"I'm fine but I think Merry needs help." Pippin was right, Riley noticed. He turned his head (which was uncomfortable) to see Merry who was unconscious and didn't respond to them.

"Merry!” Riley called out “Merry wake up!" 

"My friend is sick!" said Pippin out loud "He needs water!"

The orcs began to chuckle and the awful sound they made created a knot in the pit of Riley’s gut. One of them walked towards Merry and poured some thick kind of fluid down his throat which definitely wasn't water. Another pungent stench hit Riley and he had to keep himself from vomiting. A few moments later though, Merry began to regain consciousness and opened his eyes.

"Merry!” Pippin exclaimed “You're awake!"

"It's okay Pippin, it was only an act."

_ Yeah, right,  _ Riley thought but decided not to say anything. They were all okay and that was all that mattered.

He just hoped that their friends were too.

* * *

Laura pretended to be asleep with her eyes closed. In all honesty, she had given up on sleeping a long time ago but right now, this was part of their plan. As she lay on the uncomfortable ground, she found that her thoughts kept drifting to her friends and wondered what they were doing at that moment. Were they even alive? Was Boromir with them? Parts of her vision in Galadriel’s mirror had come true; the fellowship was broken and worse things were ahead. The more she thought about the fair-haired captain of Gondor, the more Laura realised she definitely had feelings for him but it also scared her. The frightening reality was that as much Laura knew this was all real, she still missed her own world and wasn’t sure if she could give all of it up as easily as Maggie and Riley had. Yet, if her heart truly belonged with Boromir, wouldn’t that mean she had to stay? She wondered if Riley and Maggie ever missed them. 

"It's ours…we wantss its…"

_ Remember the plan,  _ Laura thought as she tried not to be scared. 

"Frodo!" she called out and Sam and Frodo leapt to their feet but Gollum grabbed hold of Laura's neck tightly.

"This is Sting! You've seen it before, haven't you…Gollum!” Frodo said “Release her or I'll cut your throat."

* * *

"Is it just me or can you guys hear horses?" Felix asked and he was right. In fact, it wasn't just one or two horses but dozens of them riding across the plain and when they saw the seven companions, the riders enclosed them in a circle. Another few seconds later, it was Nat who realised who their leader was and she gave a little squeal and pinched Felix’s arm.

"Ouch!” he cried out “What the hell was that….OH!"

Eomer.

All three of them must have looked completely flabbergasted and Nat held onto Felix’s arm so tightly, he was sure it would fall off. Aragorn, Theo, Gimli and Legolas were all prepared with their weapons and instinctively, Theo stepped in front of Maggie. Ever the dutiful son. Eomer dismounted his horse and marched up to them with determined steps. 

"What business does an elf, a man and a dwarf and…..and." Eomer seemed to struggle to find a word to describe Felix, Maggie and Natalie with.

"Yeah I know, mate.” Felix said “We're a bit of motley crew." 

"What business do you have in the Riddermark?” Eomer demanded “Speak quickly!"

"Give us your name horse master and I'll give you mine." Gimli told him.

Eomer got off his horse and grasped his sword which he aimed at Gimli. "I would cut off your head,  _ dwarf _ , if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

As a response to this Legolas reached for his bow and things suddenly got a little more hostile than intended. "You would die before you stroke fell." he threatened.

"Okay, seriously. Can we  _ please _ not kill each other just yet?" said Nat with an annoyed sigh "Aragorn, talk sense into them."

"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn. This is Boromir son of Ecthelion. Gimli son of Gloin and this is Legolas of the Woodland realm."

"And what of these three?" Eomer referred to Maggie, Nat and Felix. "They do not look like they belong in these lands.” 

"This is Felix and Natalie.” Aragorn said “This is Queen Margaret of Erebor and her son Theo, son of Thorin. We're hunting a pack of uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken three of our friends captive."

"One of them was my brother." Maggie added

Eomer said nothing for a while and instead, Felix watched as he studied the three of them, particularly Maggie. Then, his eyes fell on Theo as he assessed whether or not Aragorn’s words were true. It was fair enough really, they were a strange bunch and he was right to be skeptical. 

“Queen of Erebor?” Eomer repeated “You mean to say that King Fili has taken a human queen?”

“Geesh, no need to sound so amazed.” Maggie remarked “

Eomer bowed his head. “My apologies, your majesty. Such an alliance between dwarves and men has been unheard of.” 

“Totally fair.” 

Eomer turned his attention to Aragorn again. 

"The uruk are destroyed." said Eomer after a moments silence "We slaughtered them during the night."

Felix couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. There was no way Riley and the hobbits were gone but then, things had obviously been changed in the timeline and nothing was certain anymore. 

"What?" Felix asked and he could feel a sense of panic growing within him "Well did you see them?"

"They would be two hobbits and one man with them!" Gimli explained

"The hobbits would be small, only children to your eyes." Aragorn added 

Eomer shook his head and Felix saw his heart sink. "We left none alive."

_ No, no, no, they have to be alive. They need to be alive,  _ Felix thought and desperately tried to hold back his own tears. He felt Nat squeeze his hand in an attempt to comfort him.There wasn’t much else to say after that and Felix felt as though he was in a daze. Eomer gifted them six horses. A silence fell, nobody really knew what to say to break it but Eomer whistled and three horses came up to him.

"May these horses bear you better fortune than their masters. Farewell. Look for you friends, but do not trust to hope. It has forsaken this land."

After their encounter with the riders of Rohan, the remaining fellowship travelled in silence to what was left of the Uruk-Hai camp. It didn’t matter how many times Felix had watched the movies or read the scenes in the book, nothing could prepare him for the sight ahead or the awful smell of burning flesh. Even worse, burning orc flesh. There were dozens of dead bodies in a pile and it smelled awful. There was no sign of neither Riley nor Merry and Pippin. Felix began to feel a knot take shape in his stomach and a feeling of hopelessness. Not to mention fear. They couldn't have lost their friends. He absolutely refused to believe and turned around to his friends.

"I know Felix.” Maggie whispered and pulled her in for a hug.” I know."

A few moments passed and the hopelessness of their current situation began to sink in. There was no sign of Riley, Merry and Pippin but the fact that their bodies weren’t there, then maybe they were alive. If that was the case then where were they? Felix’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden anguished cry from Aragorn. They all turned around and saw the ranger fall to his knees on the ground after kicking an Uruk-Hai head. Suddenly, he put his ears to the ground and they all knew he’d realised something. 

"Aragorn? What is it, brother?" Theo asked

"Theo, come here.” 

Aragorn gestured towards Theo who came and also lay his ear to the ground. 

“A hobbit lay here and there the other." Aragorn replied "Riley was here too. Look at these handprints.”

“Too big for a hobbit and too small for an orc.” Theo assessed. 

“Aye Their hands were bound. They ran over here. They were followed. The tracks lead away from the battle and into…"

"Fangorn forest." Gimli said and all of them stared at the woods in front of them. The trees were huge and the thought of going in there was daunting. "What madness drove the in there?"

"Well," said Felix before anyone else "Only one way to find out."

Felix soon regretted his words but before they knew it, they walked into Fangorn forest. It felt different from Lothlorien. Fangorn was far less friendly and welcoming. Felix couldn’t quite explain why but something about the air was off and it made him feel more wary and on edge. 

"I don't like this.” Nat whispered “I don't like this at all." Nat was terrified. Felix knew his friend had always been scared of the dark and just as Fangorn scared him, he knew the same thing also put the fear of God in Nat. 

"Why you and Riley ever go hiking voluntarily is beyond me.” Maggie said “And what is that noise?" Legolas, Theo and Aragorn were conversing with each other in Elvish and looked around wearily. The fact that they were both a little on edge made Nat even more nervous.

"Maggie, you're the one who understands Elvish, what are they saying?" Felix asked

"I only speak a little." she replied “Something about--”

"The white wizard is approaching." Legolas told them

"Okay." Maggie admitted " _ Now _ I'm scared." and clutched onto Nat's arm and Nat in turn clutched onto Felix.

"Uh…guys." said Nat and came to a full halt when they were met by a very bright, white light and a voice speaking to them.

Felix’s heart began to beat faster and his body was put into fight or flight mode. Legola fired an arrow at the stranges but the arrow snapped and came flying back at him. 

"You're tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits and a young man." said the voice. 

"Where are they?" Aragorn demanded

"They passed this way two days ago. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

"I've gotta tell you, not really no." said Felix

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Legolas fired another arrow but it was deflected back at him and they were met by a white bright light. When the light subsided the person in front of them was not who they expected to be.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Nat couldn't believe her eyes. "Gandalf…."

"It cannot be.” Argorn whispered “You fell."

But it was Gandalf. Except instead of wearing a grey robe and pointy hat, he was all dressed in white. Felix stood mesmerised and wasn’t sure how to feel. He was both amazed and terrified at the same time. All this time, he was well aware that Middle-Earth had magic, but actually experiencing it to this level was something Felix couldn’t even begin to explain. 

"Through fire and water. I've been sent back here until my task is done." As Gandalf said this his eyes met Felix, Nat and Maggie and they could see that there was a glint in them as well. "One stage of your journey is over but another has yet to begin. Rohan is at war, we must ride quickly to Edoras."

They all stared at him in awe, still finding it hard to believe that he was there, alive. When the seven companions reached the edge of the forest Gandalf whistled and they could see a horse galloping towards them in the distance, almost as from out of nowhere.

"He is beautiful…" Maggie whispered in astonishment

"That is one of the Mearas unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." Legolas explained

"This is Shadowfax, he is the lord of all horses and he has been my friend through many dangers." said Gandalf and they rode off to Edoras.

* * *

In all honesty, Felix had no idea how long the ride to Edoras took. His mind was still blown by their encounter with Gandalf in the forest. The landscaped passed them by and as dusk began to fall, they finally Within less than five minutes of being there the guards were aiming their weapons at them and asked them to hand them any weapons they carried. Reluctantly they all did and when one of the guards came to Maggie she looked at him sceptically.

"You're joking right?" she asked and the guard seemed a bit confused at this "You think we’re going to hurt you? Can you please not have your pointy sticks in my face or I swear to God I will shove them up somewhere I can guarantee you're not gonna like it." the poor guard, a man in his early thirties, didn't seem to know what to do or how to react so he looked at the others.

"I wouldn’t risk it, mate.” Felix cautioned 

The guard gave up on Maggie and then turned to the wizard. 

"Your staff." he said

The wizard just raised an eyebrow and spoke in his most innocent voice. "Oh? Surely you would not rob an old man off his walking staff?" The security guard mumbled something inaudible under his breath and eventually opened the doors and let them inside. It was cold and the air was strange, in an almost unnatural way Felix thought. He saw Théoden sat on his throne at the end of the hall with Grima Wormtongue, whispering things in the king's ears. Felix had never felt such immediate hatred for any person as Grima. He reeked of evil and malice and the look on his eyes when he studied Nat and Maggie made Felix just want to punch him immediately. 

"The courtesy of your hall is lessened of late Théoden King." Gandalf told him

"Gandalf the grey is coming.” Grima hissed ”He is not welcome." 

"Why should I welcome you Gandalf Stormcrow?" asked Théoden, his voice sounded very worn out.

"Slightly uncalled for but okay." Nat said

"He brings strangers from distant lands that cannot be trusted. They will only bring death to your people my Lord." Grima whispered to the king

"Right, now it's personal."

Leave it Nat, Felix mused to himself. 

"Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear!” Grima called out “Lathspell I name him. Ill news in ill guest."

"Be silent!" Gandalf’s voice echoed and Grima stumbled backwards. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth! I have not passed through two worlds and near death to bandy grid words with witless worms." he took vast steps towards the king and revealed his staff

"His staff!" Wormtongue called out in panic "I told you to take the wizard's staff!"

“Unlucky for you, my friend.” Boromir smirked

"Théoden son of Thengel," Gandalf's voice boomed loudly through the hall and the air grew dark. "Too long have you sat in the shadows. Attend to me, I will release you from this spell. I will draw you Saruman as poison is drawn from a wound."

As Gandalf tried to banish Saruman from within Theoden, Felix saw Lady Eowyn run to aid her uncle but he grabbed her. 

"Wait." he told her

Suddenly, they could all hear Saruman's voice speaking through Théoden. "If I go Théoden dies. Rohan is mine." he told them and it made all of them shiver. Hearing Saruman so clearly like this frightened Flix more than he had expected it would. It was a bit like that part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where Voldemort is able to speak telepathically to all the students of Hogwarts. 

"You did not kill me. You will not kill Théoden." Gandalf said, he was not going to given

"And what of your new companions, Gandalf? You cannot protect everyone, Gandalf the White. I am stronger than you. Can you really have the death of these innocent humans your conscience, especially the wife of a Mountain King? My Master has unresolved quarrel with her and her kin. If only he knew…." Felix turned to Maggie whose face had turned pal. Aragorn who was stood next to her grasped her hand in comfort.

" _ BE GONE _ !" Finally, Théoden cried out a horrifying scream and within a few moments the king was restored back to his old self and Saruman was gone. Felix let go of Eowyn and she ran up to her uncle, kneeling beside him.

"I know your face. Eowyn…Eowyn." whispered the King

"Breathe free air again my friend." Gandalf told him

"Dark have been my dreams of late."

"Perhaps," said Gandalf "But your fingers would remember their strength better if they grasped your sword."

Felix turned around to the girls and whispered so that only they could hear him. "Bye bye Grima."

  
  


**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Another chapter done and a little longer this time! Like I said in the beginning it jumps around a bit because the next two movies does jump but I’ll try to take the next chapter a bit of a slower pace and introduce another point of view. Whose point of view would you like to see next? Nat? Theo? Or maybe even Boromir
> 
> Leave a omment and let me know! 


	8. Catching a Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone is able to take a breath....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Another daily update! Question for you though; would you guys prefer me to just stick to the movie plot without any in-between chapters like this one or would just like more chapters of character development and interactions that Castaways had? This one is just a bit of an in-between chapter to build more relationships and just some nice fluff. Also, I know in the book the Fellowship’s journey stretches out over a year. They leave Rivendell in December and end up in Edoras around early March. I’m not going to stick quite to the timeline because it would be a bit impossible and I hope you’ll suspend disbelief while reading when it comes to how long their journey takes. Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy it. 

**Eight**

_ Catching a Break _

Nat was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Every single joint and muscle in her body complained loudly about the strain they’d endured over the past few weeks. Thankfully, Eowyn was a godsend and had poured Nat a private bath. As she allowed her body to sink into the water and inhale the relaxing scents of the bath oils, Nat closed her eyes and was finally able to relax. For a few she submerged beneath the water and soaked her red hair, which had become awfully frizzy over the past few weeks of running. 

For the first time since their departure from Rivendell, Nat was left alone with her thoughts and had time to process everything that had happened. The most important of all being the fact that Laura and Riley had gone their separate ways from the rest of the group. Nat could hardly believe that Laura was journeying all the way to Mordor with Frodo and Sam. It was funny in a way, that out of all of them she was the one to go with the hobbits. They all knew Laura was the one with least knowledge of Middle-Earth but she was the one who had accepted everything the easiest. 

As for Riley’s journey, Nat hoped he would be okay but knowing the oldest Spencer, he would be fine. Besides, during their two weeks in Rivendell both Fili and Gandalf told them stories about Riley and Maggie’s heroic feats during the quest to Erebor. No matter how many times they talked about it or how often she pinched herself, Nat still found it all incredible. Nat, Maggie, Felix and Riley had known each other the longest. The reason for their mutual love of Tolkien and Middle-Earth was because Alan Spencer or Amandil as he was known here, would read them stories during sleepovers. First, he started with the hobbit and as they got older, he would read them all the Lord of the Rings. 

Nat remembered being fascinated by stories of talking Eagles, immortal elves and had imagined the beauty of Rivendell in her head so many times. Nothing she had ever pictured in her mind could live up to its actual beauty. Laura’s family had become a part of their extended-family a few years later, when they were all in primary school. Obviously, they’d tried to get her to see the magic of the stories and when they got older, they watched the movies together, but Laura wasn’t as drawn to it as they were. It never caused a rift or anything like that, it was simply a matter of different taste. 

The other thing Nat still struggled to comprehend was the fact that Maggie had a son. Not only that, her son was old enough to be her father. It made sense, what with time flowing differently in the two worlds but it was still strange. Then there was the fact that Maggie was also a queen and Married to Fili while also being in a relationship with Lord Elrond. When it came to matters of the heart, Nat’s own philosophy was similar to Maggie’s; you should be able to love who you wish freely so long as nobody was harmed. Elrond and Fili were both kind and it was obviously to Nat that her friend loved both of them in a way that she had never known Maggie to love before. 

Nat realised her mind strayed to Theo as it often did lately. She hadn’t told anyone, but that night after the feast, it was with Theo she had spent the night. When they first walked with Theo and Aragorn to Rivendell, Nat had spent a little time talking to him and then in Rivendell, it began as innocent and alcohol-induced flirting. After Maggie left the party with Fili, Theo was more open with his flirting and it didn’t take long before they too left.

At first, Nat assumed that it was just a harmless one night stand but as the days passed in Rivendell, she spent more time with Theo and realised she enjoyed his company. He was easy to talk to and he listened to her ramblings, which genuinely seemed to interest him as he kept asking her questions. Sometimes they were questions about their world and herself, but he also asked questions about Maggie that perhaps he was too afraid to ask her himself. It was sweet, Nat thought. It didn’t take long before Theo often sought out her company in those rare moments when she had time to herself. Nat was someone you might call an extroverted introvert. She loved being around people and socialising, but she was just as happy in her own company. She valued her privacy but whenever Theo showed up, she didn’t mind. The first time their hands touched during a stroll through the gardens, Nat felt a spark of electricity run through her veins. From that moment, she knew that what had originally started as something innocent, was definitely something more. 

Nat was no stranger to relationships and had had her share of dating. Her longest relationship lasted just over three years but for the past two years, she’d chosen to be single so that she could focus on herself and her career. That wasn’t to say she didn’t have fun from time to time, but she was content with her choice to not commit. She enjoyed the freedom it gave her and not being tied down meant she could do whatever she liked without having to consider anyone else. The moment she realised she had feelings for Theo, Nat felt scared. For a number of different reasons but she was also scared because the last time she’d let someone in, it hadn’t ended well. For two years, Nat had never really allowed anyone to see who she truly was, for fear of getting hurt again but with Theo it was so easy to talk about herself and the things she loved. It scared her because she wasn’t even sure if it was real. Then, there was the unavoidable fact that Theo was Maggie’s son. 

Logically, Nat knew that who she dated was nobody’s business but hers. Yet, she felt guilty for not telling Maggie about Theo and it had been weeks. She knew how important getting to know Theo was for Maggie. The last thing Nat wanted to do was take away the time they’d lost. For Maggie it had been a year but for Theo, he’d lived without his mother for sixty years and there was a lot of catching up to do. Nat was also uncertain about how Maggie would react once she did find out about her and Theo. That was, if there really was anything between them at all. The past few weeks of running and hunting orcs had made it difficult for them to get some privacy or even talk at all. Sometimes at night, when the others went to bed, Nat would sit with Theo when he took the first watch over the fire and their hands would gently touch. 

Aragorn definitely knew about them. Nat could tell by how he sometimes looked at Theo and a smug smile with a tug at his lips. He never said anything though, which Nat certainly appreciated. Perhaps, she thought, it was Aragorn she needed to speak to and ask for advice. If one thing had become clear since their arrival in Middle-Earth, it was that Aragorn and Theo were brothers, by something much deeper than blood. Similarly, it was clear that Aragorn saw Maggie as his family. 

Eventually, when the heat drained from the now cold water, Nat stepped out of the bathtub, wrapped her hair in a linen towel and got dressed in a robe. She didn’t really register the door opening but knew immediately who it was when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and a rough beard tickled her face. Theo’s lips gently pressed against the wet skin of Nat’s neck and a pleasurable sensation of heat rushed through her body. Theo’s finger tangled with Nat’s and he turned her around so she faced him. Whenever his kind icy blue eyes stared into Nat’s green ones, she felt all gooey inside. Theo didn’t hesitate to pull her close to him and the moment his lips met hers, Nat was lost. This was the first time in weeks that they’d been able to have time alone and Nat almost hoped they could stay longer in Edoras. She knew of course that they had to leave eventually and there were more things ahead. 

Theo’s kisses were gentle, as if he was careful to not be too greedy. He was really quite the gentleman and Nat wasn’t sure why that surprised her so much. Perhaps it was because of what she knew about his father and the temper that he was known for. That said, Maggie could also have quite the temper but it seemed as though being raised in Rivendell by Lord Elrond had taught Theo a lot of grace.

The thought of Maggie distracted Nat and she broke off the kiss, which seemed to surprise Theo.

“I have made you uncomfortable.” he said quietly. “I am sorry if I overstepped, perhaps I should have asked.”   
  
“No, no. You haven’t misread anything.” Nat assured him and then exhaled a deep breath. “It’s just...your mum is my best friend, Theo. I don’t like going behind her back.”

“Then let’s not keep things secret! Why should there be a problem?” Theo asked “My mother is kind and understanding. Besides, let us not forget she is the least likely person to judge matters of the heart.”

Theo did have a fair point, but Nat was uncertain. Then again, was it really uncertainty or was it just her own fear of actually allowing herself to let someone in. Would Theo hurt her just like others before him? Did he actually care about her or was it purely physical attraction driven by lust? Could she afford to let herself become involved with someone in the middle of all this? There was a war going on and Nat wasn’t even sure what would happen if they all survived. Would they be able to return back to their world? Did she even want to if things were really true with Theo? Maggie and Riley had clearly made their choices but their life was in Middle-Earth. It was their home and it was even in their blood. Not Nat’s or Felix’s or Laura’s.

“There’s just so much else going on.” Nat said “Not to mention you guys are only just getting to know each other after  _ sixty years _ , Theo. I don’t want to get in the way of that and I know how much it means to both of you.” 

“Can I not get to know both my mother and also you?” Theo asked “Whatever else is troubling you Natalie, you can trust me. I can sense that you are scared and that’s understandable, but my feelings are true and I know what my heart wants. I don’t wish for you to push me away, but I do understand if you need some time to consider what it is that you want. I will not pressure you and when you are ready, we can talk about it.” 

Theo rested his hand around Nat’s neck and rested his forehead against her. Then, he closed the distance between them with a kiss before he left Nat alone to her thoughts, of which there were many. 

* * *

“Master Gimli, may I sit?” Maggie asked 

The ginger dwarf sat on the stone steps leading up to the entrance of Theoden’s Hall. He was smoking tobacco from a beautifully carved pipe, no doubt handmade. She wondered if his father had taught him how to make one, because she recognised some of the runes carved into the wood. It was another clear evening and a mild breeze swept through the city of Edoras. Most people were still out and about the city, sorting out the last chores before settling in with their families at night. Maggie longed to be able to settle in for the night with Fili when all of this was over. Over the past few weeks, she wondered what life in Erebor would be like for her. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. The last time she’d set foot inside that mountain was during Thorin’s gold-madness and when they buried him. She vividly remembered the sadness she felt when she walked into his tomb. There were so many memories and ghosts of the past that dwelled within the mountain halls and if she was honest with herself, Maggie was scared of leaving the comforts of Rivendell to life under the mountain. 

During the two weeks in Rivendell, Maggie, Fili and Elrond spoke a lot about what to do logistics-wise now their dynamic had changed a little. They all agreed that Maggie should spend at least a few months in Erebor so that she could get to know its people and settle into her role as queen. Fili explained that Maggie would be expected to perform certain duties as the ruling monarch. There was a lot of administrative work as well attending meetings and making decisions about various things. A majority of the responsibility would fall on Fili, but the role of a queen was also important. She stood by her husband and supported his decisions. Maggie’s role was also particularly important because as a human, she would be the bridge between the two races. That thought also scared her because Maggie was no diplomat and if anything she spoke her mind perhaps a bit more abruptly than was deemed appropriate for a queen. 

There were however, lots of things Maggie was looking forward to. For one thing, she could not wait to meet the rest of the company, especially Dwalin and Oin who had done so much for her during her pregnancy. A long time ago, Dwalin swore an oath to stay with her and Theo no matter what happened and according to Fili and Elrond, he had kept his promise and helped raise Theo just like the rest of them. Maggie knew she owed both Dwalin and Oin a greater debt than she could ever repay them. Dwalin was even married now and became a father himself a few years ago.  Maggie also looked forward to seeing the City of Dale again. Much had changed since the Battle of the Five Armies. Unfortunately, Bard passed away some years ago of old age but Fili said he’d had a happy life with great-grandchildren. Lady Sigrid took over as the ruler of Dale after her father and it would soon be her daughter’s turn to take over. Maggie wondered if Sigrid, Tilda and Bain would remember her. 

“Your Majesty, please do.” Gimli said and gestured for Maggie to sit down. 

“Oh Gimli, none of this ‘your majestying’.” Maggie told him “You father is a very dear friend, we are practically family. I’ve been hearing stories about you since before Theo was even conceived.” 

“Aye, but you are also my queen now, lass. It seems only right.” 

_ Ah _ , Maggie thought, _ the stubbornness of dwarves prevails.  _

“In that case, as your queen, I insist on not calling me your majesty.”

Gimli’s chuckle made him choke as he inhaled the tobacco smoke. Over the past few weeks, Maggie had enjoyed getting to know Gimli and quickly found there was much more to Gloin’s son that met the eye. Even though he complained a lot about cross country running being wasted on dwarf, what with them being natural sprints, it was still clear that Gimli enjoyed the hunt. Maggie knew he’d never admit to it, but he even seemed to enjoy the company of Legolas and wasn’t as hostile towards as he had been at first. There was the odd snappy remark here and there but Legolas was remarkably patient and sometimes cast a glance at Maggie. No doubt he recalled their conversation in Mirkwood long ago, when he found out that he was destined to become great friends with Gimli. Other than Legolas and obviously Aragorn, it was Felix who Gimli became good friends with. It was pretty sweet really, because Gimli pretty much decided to take Felix under his wings and show him how things were done properly. 

“Very well. What’s on your mind lass?” Gimli asked 

“I just wanted to see how you’re feeling.” Maggie replied “Especially with Balin in Moria.”

“I should be asking you the same thing.”

Maggie exhaled a sigh. None of them had talked about what happened in Moria. Not just with Gandalf’s sacrifice but with Balin’s death as well. While the others were saddened, the grief was much nearer for Gimli, Gandalf, Riley and Maggie. Their journey moved so quickly that Maggie hadn’t been able to fully process everything until they reached Lothlorien. Gimli wasn’t one for speaking about his feelings and Maggie often wondered how he was dealing with it. 

“It feels like a deep sadness in my soul. I loved Balin almost like a grandfather.” She explained “During the Quest to Erebor, he always looked after me, especially when Riley left for his own side-quest with Gandalf and when Thorin was being particularly difficult. Fili said that the whole company is still alive, and residing in Erebor, except Balin. I just assumed I would get to see him. I hate the thought of him suffering at the hands of the goblins.”

“I too feel the same grief, Balin was a kind dwarf with a loving heart. If he was suffering then, he is not suffering now.” Gimli assured her “Balin is no doubt with Mahal, just like Thorin and the other fallen heroes of our kin. ” 

“Yeah, so everyone keeps telling me.” Maggie said 

They sat in comfortable silence for a while and Maggie couldn’t help but wonder if someone ought to write to Erebor and let them know about Moria. Especially if Dwalin was in Erebor. 

“Something else is troubling you.” Gimli stated matter-of-factly. “What is it?” 

“It’s nothing really.” Maggie lied “If anything it certainly doesn’t seem significant with everything going on.”

“You’re worried about being queen.” 

Maggie nodded. All she wanted was to be married to Fili for love and she didn’t know if she would even be a good queen.   
  
“When I was pregnant with Theo, there were people who weren’t happy about the idea of a half-dwarrow, half-human heir to Erebor.” Maggie said “I can’t even imagine how your kin will feel about having a human for a queen.”

“Some of them will take time to trust you, but you must not forget that you and your brother are the stuff of legend. You selflessly helped us reclaim our homeland from the dragon Smaug and our people will never forget that.” Gimli said “Not to mention you won the heart of our king.”

“Well there is also the fact that my heart is not only Fili’s. Dwarves and elves are not exactly famed for getting along very well.”

“Things have changed since you were last in Middle-Earth, lass.” Gimli told her as he exhaled a smoke ring. “It is well-known that Fili and Elrond have a close friendship, which has strengthened the bond between elves and dwarves. Things are not as hostile as they used to be and no doubt the birth of you wee lad has also helped with that alliance.” 

“My wee lad who is about 35 years older than I am. God, that takes time getting used to.” 

“Theo loves you with all his heart, Maggie. It has been a while since I have seen such a spark in his eyes.”

Maggie smiled and kissed Gimli on his cheek which made the ginger dwarf blush.

“Thank you for the conversation Gimli.” she said “You are a good friend and I am deeply honored to be your queen.” 

“Spoken with true dwarrow-grace. You will make a fine queen, lass.”

Maggie left Gimli to enjoy the peace of the evening and went back inside. It wasn’t long before she ran into Eowyn who carried a pile of blankets in her arms. After all these years and out of all the people they had met in Middle-Earth, Maggie struggled to keep her cool when she first saw Eowyn. As a child, Eowyn was her first literary heroine and role model. She was strong, valiant and followed her heart no matter what other people expected of her. 

“Your Majesty, I prepared a room for you and I thought you might want to have a bath.” Eowyn said “You must be tired and sore after all that time on the road.”

“Thank you, Lady Eowyn.” Maggie said. “You are too kind, but please let me help. Besides, I’m sure you have a kitchen somewhere, I could make us some hot drinks if you would like.” 

Eowyn only nodded and Maggie spent the next hour helping Eowyn set up all the rooms for the guests. Maggie liked Eowyn. She was every bit as kind as imagined and she had a wonderful sense of humour. After all the rooms were sorted, Eowyn showed Maggie the way to the kitchens where she prepared two hot cocoas. Before they left Rivendell, Maggie had sneaked some cocoa powder from Elrond’s pantry in the hope that she would eventually get to use it on the road. Now seemed as good a time as any. Finally, they were able to sit down at one of the many tables of the great hall and talk. Eowyn asked Maggie many questions about herself and her friends because Gandalf revealed a few hours earlier that they were from a world different from Middle-Earth.

“Forgive me, I am only curious.” Eowyn said “I have never met a queen before, other than my aunt. You are unlike any queen I’ve heard about.”

“I imagine you must think it strange that I am married to a dwarf king.” Maggie said

The pupils in Eowyn’s dilated as if she was worried she had offended Maggie, but she only chuckled. 

“Oh no, I hold no prejudice, the heart is a strange thing.” Eowyn assured her “I have heard King Fili is a good and kind king. The people of Dale speak highly of him.” 

“What else have you heard?” Maggie wondered 

Eowyn looked around to make sure nobody else was nearby. Then, she leaned forward and lowered her voice. 

“I heard some of the women and men talk before and they were saying things about you.” Eowyn whispered “That you also have another lover in Lord Elrond of Rivendell.” 

For being a place without wifi or modern technology, it was still amazing to Maggie that rumours spread so quickly in Middle-Earth. 

“Wow, I forgot word travels fast in this place.” she giggled 

“So it is true?” Eowyn gasped “You are both married to a king and you have another lover?” 

Maggie nodded and Eowyn suddenly took her hands and seemed instantly more fascinated. 

“Do they not get jealous?” Eowyn asked “Forgive me, I am prying. I have just never heard of such an arrangement.” 

“No apology necessary, ask as much as you like.” Maggie replied “And no, they do not get jealous. Fili and Elrond are dear friends and it was never a competition between them.”

“But, Fili is not the father of your son?”

“No. Theo’s father is Thorin Oakenshield. He perished during the Battle of the Five Armies, when I was pregnant with Theo.” 

“I am so sorry. That must have been dreadful.”

“It was but I was lucky to be blessed with love again and now I have two amazing men in my life. My brother and I were taken from this world, a year ago in our time but for Middle-Earth sixty years passed. In that time, Theo was raised by Elrond, Fili and my father”

Eowyn’s jaw dropped

“ _ Sixty _ years?!” she exclaimed “All that time you believe it was only one year? How awful! You must be relieved to be reunited with all of them, especially your son.” 

“Yeah, I’m glad to be home again.” Maggie agreed 

Maggie noticed that something caught Eowyn’s attention and as she turned around, Aragorn passed them, placed a gentle kiss on Maggie’s head and then carried on his way.

“Lord Aragorn loves you as though you are also his mother.” Eowyn said “How is that possible?” 

“He is also my family by blood. I am his aunt.” Maggie explained “When I lived in Rivendell, all those years ago, Aragorn was also there and I raised him for some time. He was only a small child then. Sometimes, when he couldn’t sleep at night he would sneak into my room and sleep in my bed. We also used to sneak into the kitchens at night and steal some of Master Dwalin’s homemade cookies. He was a precious child, so filled with love for everyone around him. He could get quite jealous too, I recall a time when Fili slept in my bed for the first time and Estel found out, he got so angry he wouldn’t speak with either of us.” 

So many memories Maggie hadn’t thought about in a long time came back to her and made her smile. Eowyn listened to her story with fascination but Maggie felt a little bad just talking about herself. 

“But, if Lord Aragorn was a small child when he lived in Rivendell, he should be an old man by now.” Eowyn realised. “Yet, he looks no older than forty at the most. What is his age?” 

“You will have to ask him.” Maggie chuckled “Enough about me, what about you? Do you have love in your life?” 

“Oh my life is nowhere near as fascinating as yours.” Eowyn sighed “I used to, when I was younger but nothing came of it. I have so many duties around here to fulfill that I do not have the time to consider such things.” 

Maggie wished she could tell Eowyn that her life would be filled with love and that there was no point in her dreaming of Aragorn, but it wasn’t her place to reveal such things and she could already her Gandalf’s words of caution repeat themselves in her head. 

* * *

Boromir’s focus was waning. At first, he thought he was tired enough to sleep and longed for a chance to lay down on a soft mattress. Unfortunately, sleep eluded him and Boromir decided to stretch his legs. More than anything, he wished Laura would share his bed and his thoughts often drifted to her. He wondered what her current location was and if the hobbits were looking after her. The thought of Frodo filled Boromir with such guilt and shame. He couldn’t believe he had allowed himself to be enchanted by the power of the ring. It was almost as if he became the worst possible version of himself; one filled with greed and hatred of others. Almost like his father. 

Felix’s words also haunted Boromir and he could not get them out of his head. He was supposed to have died. The young man had spoken with such certain and almost disdain that Boromir felt as though he should apologise. It was ridiculous really, because there was no way he could foresee the future or know what could happen. Yet, the others did and that was a feeling that deeply unsettled Boromir. He knew in his heart that Laura and her friends were good at heart but this whole business about being from another world was stranger than anything he’d heard of. He didn’t disbelieve it though and he also knew that he would simply have to accept the existence of a world other than Middle-Earth. 

Perhaps, Boromir thought, he ought to spend some time getting to know the other three. He wanted them to trust him and know that he meant no harm. He regretted his actions against Frodo and wished he could take it all back. Boromir was also sure Felix and the others were concerned about his intentions with Laura. As far as friends were concerned, Laura was lucky to have such loyal companions and it was clear the other four loved her as a sister. 

Boromir also loved Laura. That much had become increasingly clear over the past few weeks. At first, he thought perhaps it was simple infatuation. It wouldn’t be the first time but in his heart, he knew this was different. Whenever he closed his eyes he saw her beautiful blonde hair and rosy cheeks. She always wore a smile that made him feel like a young boy again and Boromir knew that she was the one he wanted to marry. 

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reached Boromir’s ears and he knew immediately they belonged to Felix. When he turned around, the young man stood in front of him with his hands behind his back, like a puppy who knew he’d done something wrong.

“So, I feel like I should apologise.” Felix admitted. “I was perhaps a bit sharp in my words the other day and I know none of this is your fault. I was frstrated and honestly, we’re all a little scared and uncertain. What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry for being an idiot Boromir. I hope that you can forgive me and perhaps we can be friends?” 

Felix held out his hand and Boromir accepted the handshake. 

“Yes, I should like to be friends.” he said “Apology accepted.”

“Wonderful.” Felix breathed “In my world, when you settle a difference with someone, it is customary to offer them a drink. I happen to know there is some ale in Theoden’s kitchen. Would like a pint?” 

For the first time in weeks, a smile tugged at Boromir’s lips and he nodded. Perhaps, he thought, things would be alright after all. 

* * *

Theo hesitated before he raised his hand to knock on Maggie’s door. Partly because it was late and he didn’t want to disturb her. Truthfully, he was also nervous to speak with her about this particular issue. Perhaps Natalie was right and his mother wouldn’t like the fact of the two of them being together. How would that affect the rest of the journey if things were just awkward between them? Then again, Theo didn’t even know if he and Natalie were together at all. The first night they shared together in Rivendell happened on a complete whim and the rest that followed surprised even Theo. All his life, he heard about great love stories of others, especially the one between his mother and his father. Never had he experienced such love himself, until he met Natalie. Every time he saw her, his heart skipped several beats and there was a strange feeling in his gut that made him almost nauseated. While he hadn’t experienced love, he had certainly been physically intimate with women before but he’d never felt such a deep connection as he did with Natalie. Not being able to spend time with each other during their journey was difficult and Theo longed for her touch. 

He sensed that her feelings for him were the same as his, yet for some reason she pushed him away. Something scared her and he couldn’t understand what it was. Theo had no intentions of hurting her and the thought of anyone or anything causing her harm made his blood boil with a rage he’d never felt before. 

Mahal help anyone that harmed his love. 

His love. 

Theo could almost taste those words at the tip of his tongue. He knew dwarrows often had One love in their whole love, but never in his life could he imagine that he would find his. Certainly not in one of his mother’s best friends. The idea of love frightened Theo and wasn’t sure what it was really supposed to feel like. If he had learned anything, it was that Natalie was very much an independent woman and someone who was not easily kept. That was one of the many things he adored about her. If she decided that she did not want to pursue anything with him, Theo would simply have to accept it. However, the thought of her ever being with anyone else made him extremely jealous. 

His love. 

That was the dwarrow-part of him that Theo sometimes hated. The greed and possessive nature sometimes made itself known in ways he wished it wouldn’t. For years, he worked on being able to control it but it wasn’t always easy. Elrond often told him that it was a natural part of his biology and some things could not be suppressed no matter how hard you tried. 

“Enter.” came Maggie’s voice when Theo finally gained the courage to knock on her door. 

He carefully pushed the door open and found Maggie sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. She had a journal in front of her and a strange pen in the other hand. Theo knew his mother liked writing, that was something Fili always told her. Usually it was in her journal where she kept notes of everything on her mind. The journal his father had once gifted Maggie for her birthday many years ago was still safe in a drawer in Rivendell. It told the story of her journey with the Company and how she eventually fell in love with Thorin. Theo knew reading people’s journals was not morally right, but up until recently he had never expected to see his mother again. 

No matter how much time Fili, Elrond and his grandfather spent describing Maggie to him throughout his childhood or no matter how often he looked at her photographs on the phone, nothing could do her beauty justice. It was no wonder, Theo thought, that both Fili and Elrond had fallen in love with her. Maggie sat on the bed wearing a long nightgown she had borrowed from Eowyn. The curls of her long auburn hair were still slightly wet from a bath and even though she had dark circles beneath her eyes. Theo knew all boys thought the same, but no woman was as beautiful as his mother. 

“I’m sorry, if I am disrupting you, we can talk another time.” Theo apologised

“No, not at all. Come in.” Maggie assured him “What did you want to talk about?” 

Maggie put away her journal and moved aside for Theo. He sat on the edge of the bed and twiddled with his thumbs while searching for the right words. 

“I was hoping I could ask you for some advice.” Theo said “There is something which has weighed heavily on my heart for some time now and I am not certain what to do. And well, who else can I talk to if not my mother?"

“You want to ask about Nat and why she is so distant all the time?” 

Theo immediately felt his face blush red with heat and his eyes fell down. He was certain that he and Natalie had been very careful to not make their romance noticeable, yet it seemed they were not as discreet as previously assumed. Theo expected harsh words from his mother but instead, she gently lifted up his head and turned Theo so that he faced her. Her warm and kind eyes met his own and Theo felt less nervous. For some reason, silent tears began to stream down Theo’s eyes and he wasn’t even sure why he was crying. Perhaps it was because he was scared and uncertain of everything. Maggie didn’t say anything, instead she wiped his tears and pulled Theo in for a long hug. 

“Love is scary, huh?” Maggie said after a while. “When did you realise she was your One?” 

“I am not certain.” Theo replied. “I keep telling myself that she can’t be, because we do not know each other very well yet I feel as though I have known her my whole life. It’s like I know in my soul that she is supposed to be mine but I do not want to own her, she is a free woman. I am not even sure she feels as I do. It is like something is holding her back.” 

Maggie sighed and Theo sensed that she knew why Natalie was sometimes so distant from him. 

“Nat has not always had an easy time with relationships in the past.” Maggie explained “She always sees the good in people and sometimes it means she struggles to see the bad, especially if she loves someone. A while ago, she was in a relationship with someone for a long time and he did not treat her well. She still carries those scars with her and I think she feels that as long as she doesn’t get too close to someone, they can’t hurt her.” 

“I cannot understand how anyone would hurt someone they claim to love.” Theo said “You should protect them from harm. Not be the cause of it.” 

“Sometimes, people are wired differently and they don’t see the line between good and bad. It’s easy for them to take advantage of people like Nat. When she loves someone, she loves them with every fibre of her soul and I think she is frightened of feeling that way again.” 

“Did you feel that way when you realised you loved Cousin Fee and Elrond?” 

Maggie fell silent for a few moments as if she was searching for words to say. Fili and Elrond didn’t often speak about their feelings for Maggie, but Theo always knew they both loved her deeply because he could see the sadness in their eyes when her name was mentioned. Fili once explained it as an emptiness that filled his soul and Theo also felt that emptiness. 

“When I first met your father, I actually didn’t like him at all.” Maggie said “In fact, I hated him. I thought he was stuck-up, selfish and arrogant. We argued so many times and it took a long time before the hatchet was buried. I’m not sure what changed but one day, I realised I loved him. It was sudden and I was so surprised when I found out he felt the same way. That was the first time in a long while that I decided to let someone into my life. I truly loved Thorin with all my heart and I fully intended to spend the rest of my life with him, while raising you.” 

As Maggie paused for a while, Theo could tell that even after all this time, it was painful for her to talk about these memories. 

“After Thorin died, I could not even begin to comprehend what life would be like without him.” Maggie continued “For a while, there was a part of me who did not even want to live on. I grieved for months and for a long time I was inconsolable. I’m not sure how it became easier, but Fili and Elrond were a huge part of my recovery. I was always close with Elrond but Fili and I became particularly close in the few months before you were born. The moment I knew I felt something more than friendship for either of them, I was terrified. I thought that by choosing to move on and love someone else, I was betraying not both you and Thorin.” 

Now, Maggie was the one with tears streaming down her face. Theo gently wiped them away and rested his forehead against hers. All this time, he had no true idea of what his mother went through after his father’s passing. 

“I love you,  _ naneth _ .” Theo whispered and kissed her cheek. “I’m sure father still wants nothing but your happiness, no matter who you choose to be with.” 

Theo knew Maggie wasn’t aware, but he could hear her increased heart-beat the moment he said ‘I love you.’ It was the first time hehad spoken those words to her since her arrival in Middle-Earth. To Theo, it was obvious that he loved her mother, but perhaps she felt that because she’d be gone for so long she had to earn his love. 

“I love you too, Theo.” Maggie replied 

Maggie dried away her tears again and exhaled a deep breath. 

“So, back to the point.” she said “Have you and Nat spoken at all?”    
  
“I told her earlier that if she needed time to think about it, I would still be here if she wanted to talk.” Theo replied “I do not want her to feel as though she has to make any kind of decision in a rush. I just wish for her to know that I am not going to hurt her but I will respect whatever choice she makes. I also think she feels like it is strange that I am your son and she doesn’t want to take away our time.” 

“Yeah, that sounds like Nat. If you’d like me to talk to her, I will but I think the best thing to do with Nat is to wait and let her come to her own terms with how she feels. She doesn’t like feeling stressed or rushed. It will only push her further away and I think you have the right approach. Just give her time.”

Theo nodded, glad that he decided to speak with his mother. Maggie stifled a yawn and as she stretched out, Theo could see how tired she was. 

“It is late, I shall leave you to get your rest.” 

Before he left, Theo tucked his mother into bed which might seem silly to some as they were both adults but he thought it was the least he could do to make sure she was comfortable and looked after, especially without Fili and Elrond to protect her. 

**_To be continued…._ **

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter turned out to be a LOT longer than I planned but I had a lot of fun writing the different interactions between everyone. How did you think I portrayed all the canon characters like Gimli and Eowyn? What do you think of Theo now that we’re getting to know him a bit more? Please leave a review and let me know. 


	9. Evacuation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a lot of battle and an evacuation .....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Here we are! Another, more carefully edited chapter. Not entirely sure when the next one will be uploaded, things got very hectic here overnight and the country I’m in may go into total isolation for a few weeks so I’m trying to see if I can get home in the next few days or if I’ll be stuck. Thanks again for the kudos/views/comments, they mean a lot! This is another huge chapter so I hope you’ll enjoy it! 

** NINE **

**_Evacuation_ **

_ Three days earlier _

Riley closed his eyes and inhaled deep breaths. For the past few weeks, he had been counting his lucky stars and they were beginning to run out. He wasn’t sure how long they trekked through the forest, but the deeper they got, the more Riley began to lose track of time. He disliked Fangorn Forest even more than he disliked Mirkwood. They felt similar, but there was a different kind of darkness in Fangorn and it felt more than Mirkwood. Under any other circumstances, he might even have been a little excited at the idea of actually meeting Treebeard the Ent, but all Riley wanted was to be back with the others. He worried for his sister and wondered if they were already in Edoras or if things had perhaps changed along the way. The rules were out now and there was no telling what would happen from hereonend. Riley didn’t like not knowing, yet he knew he had no other choice than but to deal with it. 

It was a miracle really, that the Uruk Hai had not managed to kill them. Their escape into Fangorn was a lucky one and somehow, they were still alive. Merry and Pippin were handling everything remarkably well, Riley thought. There was something to be said for the adaptability and courage of hobbits. The thought of hobbits made Riley’s mind wander to Laura, Frodo and Sam and he hoped things were not too complicated for them. Had they perhaps already encountered Gollum? Or were things now different for them as well? All the uncertainty made Riley feel nauseated. Then again, the nausea could also be a result of sitting on Treebeard’s shoulders as he walked through the forest. It gave Riley the same sensation as being on a dirt road in the countryside. 

Suddenly, their march came to an abrupt stop and the Ent released the hobbits from his grasps and picked Riley off his shoulder. Then, he simply dropped them onto the wet grass and the sound of footsteps reached Riley’s ears. His heart began to beat faster and his fight or flight response immediately kicked in. Treebeard had brought them their death, he was sure of it.

"This is it," said the oldest Spencer. "I'm going to die and I haven't even finished my degree yet."

"Die? I think Master Riley, that perhaps you are mistaking me for someone else." The voice that replied was all too familiar and neither Riley, Merry or Pippin could believe their ears. "I have no intention of killing you; in fact I hope to see you through all of this alive."

"Merry!" Pippin was ecstatic "It's Gandalf!"

As Riley looked up, Gandalf came into his field of vision and he suddenly felt an immense wave of relief. The wizard no longer wore an old grey robe, nor was his hair or hat grey. Now, he wore a shiny white robe and with white hair to match. His staff was also different and evidently brand new, but he no longer wore a hat. Of course, Riley always knew that Gandalf the Grey would eventually become Gandalf the White, but never in his life did he think that he would actually be there to witness the transformation. His whole aura, if you could call it that, was different and Riley could tell that Gandalf was much more powerful than he had ever been. 

"But you died!” Merry said “We saw you falling with the balrog!"

"Indeed I did Meriadoc, but the greater forces of this world are on our side.” Gandalf replied “There is yet some strength in this old fool. Now, we must act quickly, I have business to attend to and a task for the three of you."

Finally, Riley thought, some good news. 

* * *

Aragorn’s mind was on fire. Usually, the ranger was good at composing himself and dealing with his feelings by ways of inner monologue or talking to Theo. His brother had always been a good listener and never judged Aragorn for the things that concerned him. Theo was the first one to find out about his feelings for Arwen and he even realised how deep they ran before Aragorn did. In dwarrow-terms, Arwen was his One and there was no doubt in Aragorn’s mind they were meant to be together. Yet, he knew that a life with him meant she had to sacrifice the one thing elves valued the most; their immortality. How could you possibly ask someone to give up something that was a part of yourself? It didn’t seem fair, yet Arwen had willingly chosen to be with him. 

At first, Lord Elrond was unhappy when news came of his and Arwen’s relationship and it was understandable that he wanted to protect his daughter. As time passed though, Aragorn guessed that Elrond knew he wasn’t one to judge a relationship between a man and an elf, so he accepted his daughter’s choice. Sometimes, Aragorn wondered if Elrond worried about his own future with Maggie and what would happen when she eventually grew old and he remained ageless? 

It was obvious however, that having Maggie back in Middle-Earth brought his foster-father an immense amount of joy. In fact, Aragorn and also Theo shared the same joy. For a while, Aragorn was uncertain about how Theo would react to the presence of his mother, for he did not have concrete memories of her, other than the scent of her clothes and the sound of her voice. He was happy to see that Theo and Maggie spent a lot of time together and talked. It would take a long time for them to build a relationship that was lost to them, but Theo loved his mother and it was heartwarming to see them together. 

Even though Maggie was Theo’s mother by blood, she was also Aragorn’s by heart and as far as he was concerned, he was her son. He hadn’t actually called her ‘mother’ yet because he was unsure of what her reaction might be. Her marriage to Fili came as no surprise and there was no doubt in his mind that Maggie would make a fine queen. The Ranger couldn’t help but wonder if Maggie and Fili perhaps even considered having children of their own, once all of this was over. Obviously, nothing was certain right now, but Aragorn had to keep the assumption that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel and that darkness would not prevail. After all, what was the point of fighting if there was no hope of winning? 

The most pressing matter on Aragorn’s mind was the current location of Riley, Merry and Pippin. He had no doubt in his mind that his uncle would do the best he could to look after the hobbits, but he still wondered what fate would befall them in the hands of the Uruk Hai. Or even worse, if Saruman found them. He knew Sauron had a grudge against their family and all those years ago, Riley had a very personal and near fatal encounter with Sauron’s spirit when he posed as the Necromancer. No matter how good Riley was at combat, there was nothing that would protect him from Sauron as his power grew. 

As for the other three newcomers, Aragorn was truthfully amazed at how well they adapted to their new situation. Felix showed great leadership skills and Aragorn saw in him a skilled warrior with his heart in the right place. Laura was kind and gentle and if anyone was the right companion for Frodo and Sam on their journey through Mordor, it was her. Together, he hoped they would be able to find their way through the darkness. The ranger also hoped that she would be able to reunite with Boromir once all of this was over. Boromir clearly deeply cared for her and from what he could see, her feelings were also true. Then finally, there was Natalie who was the one who puzzled Aragorn the most. Just like her friends, she also had a kind heart and was a true and loyal friend to everyone. 

Aragorn knew Theo had developed feelings for her and while it seemed as though Natalie felt the same way, for some reason, the ranger could tell she struggled to truly let Theo in. It was as though she surrounded herself with thick walls to protect herself and it made him wonder if she had been hurt by someone before. Aragorn knew that it frustrated Theo because this was the first time he had ever truly been in love with someone. His brother didn’t really know how to handle those feelings and because Natalie pushed him away, things were a bit tense and complicated. Being frightened was understandable, but Aragorn wanted to tell Natalie that Theo would not hurt her. However, he also did not wish to interfere in his brother’s personal affairs and figured it was best to let them work things out. Perhaps, Theo would speak to Maggie about it, seeing as nobody knew Natalie better. 

“They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the wild men are moving through the Westfold burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree.” 

It was Lady Eowyn who snapped Aragorn out of his thoughts. At once, he became aware of his surroundings and turned his attention to the two young children sitting at a table in the great hall. Not long ago, Theoden had seen them arrive on a horse and the young boy had collapsed from exhaustion. Lady Eowyn provided them with food and Aragorn wondered how long they went without eating. As he listened to Eowyn, Aragorn heard her voice was filled with concern but Theoden had yet not spoken. This was undoubtedly the deed of Saruman and Aragorn wondered how far the once great wizard must have fallen to cause harm to young and innocent children. 

“This will get worse.” Felix said. “This is just the beginning.” 

Felix spoke with such conviction Aragorn knew he was right. It was an open secret that Felix and the others knew more than they were letting on. The ranger heard Felix’s conversations with Boromir a few days before, when he told the captain of Gondor that he was supposed to be dead. Boromir took it in his stride, such as he did with most things, but Felix felt guilty about his outburst. Since then, the two had cleared the air and actually appeared to be rather good friends. Aragorn joined them in the kitchen the night before, along with Gimli and their evening had been one filled with laughter. 

“Where’s mama?” the young girl asked 

Eowyn soothed the small child and as Aragorn looked at his own mother, he could almost feel the anxious knot in her stomach. Aragorn gently squeezed Maggie’s shoulder, his own of letting her know that everything would be okay. Truthfully, there was no guarantee of anything but he hated the sight of children suffering. 

“Master Felix is right,” Gandalf agreed. “This is but a taste of terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent now for he is driven now by fear of Sauron.” 

“If he is willing to let children suffer,” Natalie asked “What else is he willing to do?” 

It was more than a valid question. There was no telling what Saruman would do or what lengths he would go to. Theoden needed to act now, but Aragorn could tell the King wasn’t best pleased about this new development. Aragorn didn’t necessarily distrust his intentions but he did think Theoden was frightened and was unwilling to admit it. A frightened king meant his people would also become afraid and that was no good for anyone. If Aragorn was in his shoes, he would have prepared for battle and gathered all his best warriors to protect their people, but he had a feeling that the King of Rohan would not be willing to risk the life of his people over such uncertainty. 

“Ride out and meet him head on.” Gandalf suggested “Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight!” 

“You have two-thousand good men riding north as we speak.” Aragorn told him “Eomer is loyal to you and his men will return to fight for their king.” 

Aragorn truly believed that Eomer was indeed loyal to his uncle and would return as soon as he was told. The Riders of Rohan would be an incredible force against the Saruman’s army, which they all knew was coming their way whether they liked it or not. 

“They will be  _ three hundred  _ leagues from here by now!” Theoden said “Eomer cannot help us. I know what it is you want of me but I will not bring further death to my people and I will not risk open war.” 

“Open war is upon you.” Aragorn countered “Whether you would risk it not.”

“When last I looked, it was Theoden, not Aragorn who was king of Rohan.” 

“Yeah well when last I looked,” Maggie snapped “I did not believe that King Theoden of Rohan was such a bloody coward.” 

Up until that point, Maggie had stayed silent and when she snapped at Theoden all eyes were on her. Theoden looked less than impressed and the atmosphere immediately changed to something more tense. Aragorn knew Maggie reacted emotionally and while he admired her for it, now was perhaps not the time. 

“Maggie…” Felix said gently 

“ _ No _ .” Maggie protested. “He does not get to speak like that to  _ my  _ son.” 

Theoden walked up to Maggie with his hands behind his back and raised an eyebrow. To others, it might have been intimidating but Maggie stood resolute in her place and didn’t even shift. 

“I thought you were his aunt?” Theoden asked “Which is it?”

“I may be his aunt by blood, but I also raised him so that makes him my son.” Maggie replied. “Although, I do not see why I have to justify any kinship of mine to  _ you _ .” 

“And I should not have to justify my decision as a king to  _ you _ , Your Majesty.” 

“Then, what  _ is  _ the king’s decision?” Gandalf asked to interrupt the tension

Aragorn knew what Theoden’s decision was before he announced it and it was a foolish one. Mere moments later, Gamling was outside preparing the people of Rohan for the next plan of action, which was to evacuate the city to Helm’s Deep. Aragorn knew that Theoden was only doing what he thought was best for his own people, but he was also acting out of fear and nobody made good decisions when frightened. 

“By order of the king, the city must empty!” Gamling called out “We make for the refuge of Helm’s Deep! Do not burden yourself with treasures! Take only what you need!” 

“Helm’s Deep!” Gimli grumbled “They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight! Who will defend them if not their king!” 

Gimli, Theo, Legolas and Aragorn followed Gandalf through the city in haste as he headed toward the stable. Aragorn didn’t know where the wizard was going now, but if he was leaving them it meant they would have to rely on each other for council even more than they had before. The stables were packed with people preparing the horses for the journey to Helm’s Deep and Aragorn saw the worry in the men’s eyes. 

“He is only doing what he thinks is best for his people.” Aragorn explained “Helm’s Deep has saved them in the past.” 

“There is no way out of that ravine.” Gandalf worried. “Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he’s leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre.” 

A massacre, Aragorn thought, is exactly what Saruman wanted. It would send a message to the rest of Middle-Earth and people would then fear his power even more than they already did. 

“Theoden has a strong will but I fear for him.” Gandalf said “I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses  _ have  _ to hold.” 

“They will hold.” Aragorn promised

Truthfully though, Aragorn was also a bit afraid. All his life, people always told him was meant to be a leader and a king, but he wasn’t sure that was the fate he truly wanted. He didn’t like the idea of so many people putting their trust in him, a man they barely knew. What if he let them down and his poor judgement lead them to their death in Helm’s Deep? He couldn’t have that on his conscience, yet he knew he didn’t have much choice. 

Gandalf turned to Theo now too.

“You must both look out for your mother.” said the wizard “Sauron has long held a grudge with her and your uncle. No doubt Grima has already told Saruman that Maggie is with us. I fear her fate, should the enemy find her.” 

“She will want to fight.” Theo said “She may not be dwarrow by blood but she certainly has the same stubbornness.”

“Yes, our Maggie has always been strong of mind, whih is why it is paramount to keep her safe.“ 

Aragorn knew Theo was right. Maggie would want to find and there was little they could do to stop her. Especially once her mind was made up about something. Even so, the thought of their mother being captured and brought to the hands of the enemy was more than Aragorn could stand. Memories of the last time he and Maggie were captured came back to him, and he recalled a man called Malhas doing awful things to her. 

“The Grey Pilgrim, that’s what they used to call me.” Gandalf said as he gently stroked Shadowfax’s coat. “Three hundred lives of men I’ve walked this Earth and now I have no time. With luck, my search will not be in vain.”   
  
Gandalf mounted the valiant steed. “Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East.” 

Aragorn nodded and then said “Go.”

Just like that, Gandalf the White set off on Shadowfax and they were once again left without his counsel. 

* * *

“I thought what you did was brave.” 

Boromir’s voice surprised Maggie but she was too busy with her current chores to stop for any interaction. She was still fuming from her earlier spat with Theoden, who she decided she did not like. How dared he speak to not only her but to Aragorn in such a condescending manner. He might be king but they were none more equal than the other. Perhaps, Maggie thought, being queen meant that she needed to take more space and make herself heard. Middle-Earth was certainly a world where men still made a majority of the decisions and perhaps as a queen, it was her duty to give voice to the many women whose voices would otherwise remain silent. 

Instead of letting her anger fester and take control, Maggie decided to keep herself busy with helping to prepare the evacuation of Edoras. There were lots of supplies to be packed and they needed to make sure there were enough blankets. Especially for the young children and the elderly who were more vulnerable. 

“Not many would have courage to speak up against a king.” Boromir said “Especially not Theoden of Rohan.” 

“Yeah well, us Spencers are nothing if not forthright.” Maggie said “I’m sorry Boromir, can I help you? I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re in the middle of full defcon 1 evacuation here.” 

Boromir was silent for a while and Maggie stopped what she was doing. It was unlike the Captain of Gondor to not speak what was on his mind. Perhaps, Maggie thought, he was still trying to come to terms with the previous revelations that he was, in fact, supposed to be dead. Maggie couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to hear such a thing. It was a shock to everyone but they simply needed to find a way to adapt to it. They all worried about what that would mean for the prophecy and if someone else was going to die, because Maggie didn’t want anyone to die. Nonetheless, it was inevitable that things had changed in the timeline and there was absolutely no guarantee that anything would follow the story they all knew so well. That worried and scared her more than she was willing to admit. That said, it wasn’t Boromir’s fault that he was allowed an escape from death and if anything they should be happy for it. It meant that he could have a real chance at having something good with Laura, if things came to that. Maggie assumed that was his reason for seeking her out. 

“I want to apologise for my previous behaviour.” Boromir said “I feel as though we started off on the wrong foot and I wish to make amends.” 

“I appreciate it and consider your apology accepted.” Maggie told him “If it’s Laura you want to talk about, we can do that while you help me carry these blankets to the packing station.” 

Boromir seemed surprised. 

“How did you know?” he asked 

“Well, it seems like I am now in the relationship counselling business.” Maggie sassed “Come on, if you help me with this we can walk and talk.” 

* * *

Laura had been having trouble sleeping for days. It wasn’t so much the uncomfortable and rocky ground they slept on, but rather the uncertainty of the route they were following. She did not trust Gollum one bit and neither did Samwise, but Frodo decided he would be their guide. That meant that no matter what they thought about Gollum, they had to trust Frodo’s decision. 

“We wants it….we needs it….must have it.” 

At first, Laura thought she was hearing things but as she listened carefully, it was definitely Gollum’s voice. Who or what was he talking about? He was such a strange and unpredictable creature and Laura couldn’t believe that the Ring had turned him so far away from what he once used to be. Sometimes, she caught a worried and wary look in Frodo’s eye and a part of Laura knew that he was afraid that maybe he would eventually become like Gollum. In earnest, Laura had noticed a clear change in Frodo over the past few weeks. He was no longer his cheerful and calm self but instead, he was more careful and distrusting. 

A few days ago, he even argued with Samwise about how he treated Gollum. Laura admitted that even she thought that Samwise was needlessly cruel to Gollum, but she couldn’t really blame him. The creature deeply unsettled both of them but Frodo for some reason couldn’t see it. Maybe he was too blinded by the ring to truly notice what was going on? Or maybe it was because of the ring that he felt drawn to Gollum and was able to show more empathy towards him than Samwise and Laura. Whichever it was, Laura did not like it and she did not feel safe in Gollum’s presence. 

“Precious..they stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbits. Sneaky human girl. Wicked. Tricksy. False.” 

Laura listened carefully to Gollum’s words. It sounded as if he was having a conversation with someone else but there was nobody else there. At first, he was cursing the three of them, accusing them of stealing his precious ring but then, he was debating with a second voice inside his head; one that tried to tell him that Frodo was good to Gollum and that he actually didn’t want to hurt or deceive him. It was frightening listening to someone so unstable of mind and it made Gollum even more unpredictable in Laura’s eyes. Gollum’s inner argument soon escalated as he was cursing the darker part of himself demanding that he leave and never come back and for a moment it seemed to work. Laura listened to Gollum as he cheerfully celebrated his own victory. 

The next day, his mood was greatly changed which made Samwise suspicious but Frodo was happier about it. Throughout their trek, Gollum ran ahead and bounced around with a childlike and gleeful joy. It was bizarre watching him kill a rabbit in front of Frodo’s eyes and then argue with Samwise over how best to cook it so that they wouldn’t make them sick. Gollum was distraught because he thought the best way to eat them was raw, but Samwise tried to explain that if they ate them raw, it would make them all sick. 

“You miss your friends.” Frodo guessed as he sat down next to Laura. Sam and Gollum’s argument faded away behind them. “I miss mine also.” 

“I just wish there was a way of knowing what they were doing right now or if they’re safe or even alive.” Laura said. “I hate all this uncertainty. I mean, logically I know that they’re fine because they’re with Aragorn and the others but I also worry for them.” 

“I’m sure they’re worried about you too, but I have this feeling that if something was wrong or if something had happened, we would find out somehow. I don’t know how I know, but it is what I believe.” 

Laura nodded and rested her head against Frodo’s. Over the past few weeks, the three of them had become good friends and Laura felt comfortable as well as safe in their company. Before Gollum came along, they stayed up at night and told each other stories to keep up their spirits. When Laura couldn’t sleep, Samwise would often keep her company at the fireplace and he would tell her stories that the Old Gaffer once shared with him or about the ribbons in Rosie Cotton’s hair. All things considered, Laura knew that she was where she was meant to be in the world, even if it was a place of uncertainty and inevitable danger. 

Suddenly, a strange sound reached Laura’s ears and she turned to Frodo. It sounded a sort of rumbling noise and also vaguely like voices coming from somewhere in the distance. 

“Can you hear that?” Laura asked 

Frodo only nodded and they decided to track down the source of the noise. It didn’t take long before Sam and Gollum caught up with them. They all hid behind a set of bushes and when Laura saw where the noise had come from, she couldn’t believe her eyes. A huge crowd or almost an army of people marched across the plains below them. Their faces were painted in different colours of red and black and it seemed as though they were some warriors of some kind. According to Gollum, they were servants of Sauron who were called to fight in his army, which made sense to her. Then, Laura realised what the source of the rumbling noise was; a huge creature that resembled an elephant but was ten times larger and far more intimidating. 

“What the  _ fuck  _ is that thing?” Laura whispered, too afraid to raise her voice. 

“It’s an oliphant.” Sam explained, equally amazed and petrified. “No one at home will believe this.” 

“You can say that again. Felix and Riley are going to be so jealous.” 

The main thing Laura remembered from the Lord of the Rings, was Felix and Riley talking about some kind of epic battle where Legolas apparently took down one of the oliphants all by himself. Laura couldn’t understand how that was at all possible, considering how enormous the creatures were. Then, another strange sound caught Laura’s attention. At first she thought it was a bird she hadn’t heard before, which in Middle-Earth wasn’t unlikely, but then she realised it wasn’t a bird at all. It sounded almost man-made. The next few seconds happened quickly and Laura struggled to follow the events as they occurred. From somewhere behind them, arrows were unleashed and pierced the oliphants who immediately collapsed. One of them nearly fell into the side where Laura, Sam and Frodo were hiding. 

“We’ve lingered here too long.” Frodo realised “Come on Laura, Sam.” 

Within a few seconds, they left their hiding place to run back through the path to their camp, but Laura ran right into someone; a rather tall man who grabbed hold of her. In the vicinity of her eyes, she saw more hooded archers appear and as one of them grabbed Frodo, Laura saw Sam running to his rescue. It was no surprise to her that the men were stronger than the hobbits and soon, Frodo and Sam were lying on the ground with sword resting carefully against their necks. Laura’s own captor held her in a tight grip but Laura managed to use her elbow to hurt him and he lost his hold on her. She dropped to the ground and ran towards Sam. 

“We are only innocent travelers!” Sam called out

“There are no travellers in these lands.” said Laura’s captor “Only servants of the Dark Tower.”

“We are bound to an errand of secrecy!” Frodo explained “Those that claim to oppose the enemy would do well to not hinder us.” 

Laura’s captor revealed his face to them and strangely enough, his face was somehow familiar to her 

“The enemy?” he said “His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You wonder what his name is, where he came from and if he was really evil at heart. What lies or threads led him on this long march from home. If he would not rather have stayed home in peace. War will make corpses of us all.” 

Their new “friend” spoke with such sorrow in his voice and in a way that made Laura wonder if he was speaking from his own heart. Was he also far from home just like they all were? 

Most importantly, why did he look so familiar? 

* * *

After hours of preparing and packing, the people of Rohan followed King Theoden out of the City and began the long hike to Helm’s Deep. Most of them managed the trek through the arduous terrain well enough, but Maggie noticed the elderly were struggling. She felt bad for them and she knew that going to Helm’s Deep was a terrible idea. Yet, Theoden’s mind was made up and nothing would change it. In these moments, Maggie wished they could reveal to everyone what they knew of the events to come but not only had they promised Gandalf not to, but there was no telling anymore what might happen. So, no matter how much she disliked it, Maggie was forced to live in uncertainty and follow of the wishes of Theoden. Even if she was angry with him, Maggie knew that as a King, he had a duty to do what was right for his people. Could she be certaint that if she were in his shoes, she would not have done the same? 

Gandalf had once again left them and even though Maggie knew the wizard would be back, she still felt anxious. She knew he had said something to Aragorn and Theo because every now and then, she caught them looking at her with worried expressions in their eyes. She wondered if Theoden was going to command her and Nat to not fight because they were women? If he tried, he would not succeed because while he might be King of Rohan, he was not her king. 

After a few hours of walking, they made camp for the night. Maggie and Nat helped Eowyn dispense warm blankets for the elderly and the women with children as the late autumn winds could bite into your skin like nails. Maggie herself was cold and sat shivering in front of the fire, when Theo came and wrapped a warm blanket around her. In Rivendell, autumn and winter was never unpleasant and she remembered never feeling dreadfully cold. This was the part of adventuring she disliked the most and it reminded her of the Quest for Erebor. She recalled so many night spent in front of the fire with the Company and Maggie would always be the coldest, but the dwarves happily gave up their blankets and comfort for her. Back then, it always made her feel guilty but she knew now that it was a sign of respect and love. 

The thought of love made Maggie’s mind wander to her Fili and how much she missed her husband. She wondered what he was doing and if Erebor and Dale werec alright or if Saruman’s evil had also spread to them. Maggie wished she would have had a little more time with Fili in Rivendell and wondered if perhaps, when all this was over, they could have some sort of honeymoon. Maggie had no idea where one would go for a honeymoon in Middle-Earth but perhaps somewhere peaceful like the Shire or somewhere more romantic like the realm of Lothlorien. In fact, Maggie wondered if the elves would still be leaving Middle-Earth or if that had also changed because of them? Elrond had made no mention of the Rivendell elves departing and they were all still in the Hidden Valley at the time of the of the Fellowship’s departure. 

As Maggie laid down on her makeshift bed and stared into the mesmerising yellow flames of the fire, her mind strayed and she fell into a deep sleep……

_ …..“I will think of you, always.” Fili promised as he wrapped his strong arms around Maggie’s waist. “Every day, I will pray to Mahal for your safekeeping and that you will return to me.”  _

_ Fili’s beard tickled Maggie’s face as he brushed lips against her neck. She stood at the window, looking out over the Hidden Valley which was bathed in the bright autumn sunlight. Birds sang in the distance and a sense of serenity hung in the air, which Maggie had never felt before. Perhaps it was all the ecstacy and butterflies remaining from the past few days of post-wedding bliss.  _

_ “Are you worried I will not?” Maggie asked  _

_ It was a valid question because any quest was uncertain, but Maggie needed to have faith that things would work out as they intended. Fili spun her around and pulled close to him. His bright blue eyes looked right into her own and Maggie’s stomach made silly loops of infatuation.  _

_ “I am worried that history might repeat itself.” Fili confessed “I cannot lose you again.”  _

_ “Fee, you won’t lose me.”Maggie assured him. “I  _ am  _ coming back.”  _

_ Maggie knew she was coming back. She had to come back because she had a life in Middle-Earth she was very keen to start. She had lost so much time with Fili and Elrond. So many lost moments to make up for.  _

_ “I certainly hope so. You are my life and a part of my soul. I am bound to you by more than our wedding oath.”  _

_ Maggie broke off his words by pressing her lips against his and he held her even tighter. She could hear the steady beat of his heart increasing. _

_ “I love you, Fili.” Maggie whispered and knew that she meant it more now than she had ever done before.  _

_ “And I love you,  _ amralime _.” Fili said “I can’t wait until we can start our lives, have children and grow old together.” _

_ “You want children? With me?”  _

_ Fili chuckled, clearly amused at Maggie’s surprise. She hadn’t even thought about the idea of having children because she was so filled with joy over having Theo back in her life.  _

_ “Of course I do.” Fili told her “I want nothing more than little dwarflings of our own. You seem surprised.” _

_ “I just thought that maybe you’d have had enough of children after raising one already.” Maggie said _

_ “Not even close, love. Raising Theo made me realise how much I love fatherhood and how I would love to experience it again, with you. If that is what you would like.”  _

_ Maggie nodded and realised how much she wanted the same thing.  _

_ “In that case,” Fili said as he literally swept Maggie off her feet and effortlessley carried her towards their bed. “Perhaps we should start trying now, if I am going to be without you for months.”  _

__

“Maggie….”

Maggie awoke to a gentle prod as the blurriness faded and her vison became clearer, she saw Felix crouched before her sleeping place. It was early morning and most people, by the looks of things, were already awake and getting ready to begin the rest of the journey. Maggie wondered how long she’d been asleep for and she felt sore after spending a night on the cold and hard ground.    
  
“Good morning, Your Majesty.” Felix teased “How are you feeling?” 

“Like I’ve been run over by a bloody freight train.” Maggie replied.

She stifled a yawn and as she stretched out, she heard the muscles in her body crack. Felix passed her a metal jug with with a strong cup of tea. 

“What were you dreaming?” Felix asked as he sat next to Maggie “You were pretty out of it. We thought about waking you earlier, but Theo thought it best we let you sleep.” 

“I was dreaming about Fili and something he told me before we left Rivendell.” 

Maggie inhaled the scent of the tea before she put her lips to the jug and drank the brew. Almost immediately, her body responded to the hot drink and she felt more awake. Maybe it was just a placebo effect, but it certaintly helped. 

“You miss him, huh?” Felix said as he put his arm around Maggie’s shoulder. No matter how daft and silly he was a lot of the time, Felix had his heart in the right place and was always there for you when you needed him the most. “What did he tell you?” 

“He wants us to have children together.” Maggie replied. “

“Wow, that’s amazing! Althoguh, you seem apprehenisve.” 

“I do want children with Fee, more than anything.” Maggie sighed. “I’m just not sure if I’m actually able to have them anymore.”   
  
Felix expression changed to one filled with questions and concerned. 

“Why would you not be able to?” He asked “You had Theo with Thorin?”

“You remember how Ri and I told you guys about the people who wanted to kill us and Theo when lived in Rivendell? There was an elf-maiden who lived in Rivendell at the time named Talathel. She was a good friend to me and Elrohir really fancied her. Unfortunately, it turned out that she was working for the enemy all along and one night, I overheard her talking to one of the prisoners we captured.”

“Was he the one who kidnapped you and Aragorn?” 

Maggie nodded and remembered the events of that night very clearly. She remembered the fear she felt when she overheard Talathel talking to Malhas. She also remembered how helpless she was when the elf-maiden cornered her and then took Theo from her. At that moment, Maggie had felt as if her whole world was falling apart. 

“Yeah, they were part of a religious cult of some kind called the Nameless.” Maggie explained. “When Talathel realised I’d heard their conversation, she cornered me, took Theo from me and then she stabbed me in my lower abdomen. Around the womb area. I still have the scar and Master Oin told me that there is a chance the damage from the injury might permanently effect my ability to have more children in the future.” 

“Oh Mags...I’m so sorry, I had no idea.” Felix whispered “But Oin said there’s a  _ chance  _ but nothing is for certain, right? Maybe you can still have children with Fili?” 

“I hope so but, I honestly don’t know Felix.”

“You’ve been trying, haven’t you? You and Fee I mean?” 

Maggie nodded. 

“Yeah, we’ve had a few windows of opportunites in Rivendell but it’s far too early to tell if anything has come of it. Besides, if it’s anything like it was with Theo it might be a good thing right now because I do not want to spend the rest of the this quest vomiting my biles out.” 

“Not to mention you wouldn’t be able to fight.” Felix teased “Come on, I’ll help you pack things up. I think His Royal Broodiness wants us to get a move on as soon as possible.” 

They all spent the next hour packing up the camp and Maggie noticed Theo helping Natalie. Her friend seemed to be less on edge and Maggie caught her laughing a few times. Maybe her advice to Theo had been helpful after all. Following the packing, they continued their journey towards Helm’s Deep and Maggie spent most of her time talking with Legolas. Out of all of them, she hadn’t been able to catch up with Legolas as much, which she felt a little guilty for but things had been hectic of late. 

Suddenly, mid-conversation Legolas stopped and stood absolutely still. Maggie knew the all too familiar look in the elf-prince’s eyes when he had seen or heard something the others hadn’t. A couple of Theoden’s men rode past them on horseback and Maggie suddenly felt very unsettled. 

“‘Las, what is it?” Maggie asked warily

Her question was answered before Legolas opened her mouth. A scream turned their attention forward and without a warning, Legolas jumped off the cliff he’d been standing on. Maggie watched as he shot arrows at two warg riders who were attacking Theoden’s men. The sight of the wargs sent Maggie’s heart rapidly beating faster and she immediately remembered how much she hated those foul creatures. With almost no effort, Loeglas slew the beasts and Maggie ran down the hill, followed by Aragorn. 

“A scout!” Legolas announced as he pulled out his arrow

Aragorn wasted no time to run and warn Theoden and only moments later, the panic began. The women and children started screaming. 

“All riders to the head of the column!” Theoden commanded

Felix helped Gimli up on a horse and Maggie searched for Nat who ran through the crowd towards her.

“Maggie! There are wargs!” Nat said “What do we do? Felix and Boromir have already set off to help fight off the wargs!” 

“You two should help Eowyn take the women and children to Helm’s Deep.” Theo told them “She is alone in this.” 

“Eowyn is strong, she can handle it! We need to help you!” Maggie protested

Theo gently put his hands on Maggie’s face and leaned his forehead against him. Maggie knew he only wanted to do the right thing to protect her and while it was valiant of him, she didn’t want to stand back and do nothing. 

“ _ Naneth _ , please.” Theo begged “There will be battle at Helm’s Deep. If you die here, what good will your skills in combat be then? Do this for me!” 

Maggie nodded and Theo kissed her forehead. He shared a quick glance with Nat before mounting a horse and caught up with the others. Maggie waited until Theo was out of sight and then turned around to Nat who stood with her arms crossed.

“We’re not going with Eowyn are we?” Nat guessed 

“No, but we will need to ask her for a horse.” Maggie said “Come on!” 

“You are a badass queen.” 

A few moments later, Maggie and Nat were on a horse following Theoden’s men. It wasn’t long before they found themselves in the midst of battle and Maggie hoped her fighting skills had not become rusty since the goblins in Moria. Nat had gained impressive skills with the blade over the past few weeks, probably thanks to Theo’s training, and she was a natural at slaying the orcs. The wargs took a little more effort but with the two of them combined, Maggie and Nat were able to kill at least a couple of the beasts. In the distance, Maggie saw Boromir fighting alongside Theo. The Captain of Gondor stabbed a warg right in the head as it tried chewing at Theo who was able to dodge the creature. It didn’t surprise Maggie that her son was incredibly skilled in combat, since he’d been raised in Rivendell and no doubt received training alongside Aragorn. 

“Maggie? Nat? Shit! Guys, if Theo sees you here, he’s going to absolutely kill you!” Felix called out 

“Not if these guys kill us first.” Nat said

Felix rode up to them and managed to kill another warg scout in his path. Together, the three of them were a force to be reckoned with. The rush of adrenaline that came with each kill was something Maggie would never get used to. After a while, they got into a rhythm and it was almost as if they were all in sync. Soon, there were more of them than there were wargs and as Maggie was about to call out to Felix, she was cut off by Gimli calling out. "Aragorn!" 

The first thing that struck Maggie as odd was that there was no reply from Aragorn and when Maggie looked around she couldn't see him anywhere; nor could anyone else.

"ARAGORN!" Legolas shouted but still no reply came. They all searched for him but without any luck. Suddenly, Nat heard laughing, or more like cackling close to her. An orc lay there, with blood coming out of his mouth and he had a nasty grin on his face. Gimli walked up to him, putting his axe to the orc's throat.

"Tell us what happened and I will ease your passing!" Gimli threatened in a cold, dangerous voice.

"He's…dead."

"That little git! Let me—!" Felix was about to head up to the orc but Legolas held him back.

"Haha!" The orc moked "He took a little tumble off the cliff."

Maggie refused to believe it. It couldn't be true. Her son could not be dead. Aragorn was strong and he couldn’t just die so easily "No…." she whispered and felt tears swelling up in her eyes.

"You lie!" Legolas hissed but the orc didn't reply anymore but died. Legolas saw something in the orcs hand and picked it up. When Nat, Maggie and Felix went up to him they could all see it was the necklace that Aragorn had got from Arwen.

"Get the wounded on horses! The wolves of Isengard will return!" Theoden ordered and then he turned to Legolas, Gimli and the others. "Leave the dead."

Nat, Felix and Maggie were forced to believe the inevitable. Aragorn was gone.

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we are guys! Another long chapter out of the way with lots of conversation and a fair amount of action. What were your favourite bits? What would you like to see more of? How is the character development going? What do we think of Maggie and Fili wanting to have babies? 


	10. Oncoming Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maggie relives the past and things are starting to take a toll on everyone.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And I’m back! This is definitely the longest I have left between updates, sorry about that! The past week has been crazy! I’ve been in 4 different countries over the course of 12 hours and on two flights. I’m now back in the fourth country (my home) in Sweden and I got back safe. The airports were insane and I’m now back in isolation for yet another two weeks with my folks. I actually had a bit of writer’s block with this chapter and I’ve been worried it’s a little boring, because not an awful lot happens until Helm’s Deep but I hope you still enjoy. 

**Ten**

_ Oncoming Storm  _

"Riley, where you come from, do you have hobbits?” 

Pippin’s question snapped Riley out of his own thoughts. For the past few hours (or possibly longer, it was impossible to tell anymore) Treebeard and the other trees had been conferencing and deciding what to do about the present situation. To Riley and the hobbits, the answer was pretty obvious; if the ents did not fight then they risked losing their homes. Yet to the ents themselves, it was apparently a complicated matter that required much detailed conversation. So, as much as it annoyed them, there was nothing the three of them could do but to stay put until they all came to some sort of decision. Riley sat up and turned to Pippin, who curiously awaited his reply. Truthfully, Riley wasn't sure what to say to the Took at first because it had been such an unexpected question. The past few weeks and especially the past few days had brought him and the two hobbits closer together and in some way, Riley felt responsible for their safety and well-being. Merry and Pippin had set out on this journey out of the goodness of their hearts, completely unaware of the dangers ahead. All they wanted to do was to help Frodo and Sam. Now, they had found themselves on a different quest altogether and Riley needed to make sure they would be alright. 

"No Pippin," Riley chuckled, "I’m afraid we don’t have hobbits. Or elves. Or dwarves. Or ents."

"What about trolls then? Or orcs?" Merry added

"No, none of that either. In fact, very few people in my world believe in magic at all." Riley could tell from their dilated pupils that the two young hobbits couldn't believe their ears. Not believe in magic? Everybody believed in magic whether they liked to or not. It was impossible not to! At least, that’s what he was sure they were thinking. 

After being back in their world for a year, Riley got used to being without magic but it also made him realise how much value people placed on unimportant things. Technology was such a privilege and yet oftentimes, all it did was distract people from what really mattered. In Middle-Earth, life was much simpler and magic was such a natural part of life that people did not take for granted. 

"Your world must be horribly boring! What do you do for fun?" Merry asked, he was curious now.

"Well," Riley tried to think of what they actually did for fun. His view of the world and what was actually important had somewhat changed after having lived in Middle-Earth. He had different values than before and was in many ways a changed man. Riley was sure his sister felt the same way and in the past year, many of the things that previously brought him joy at home, did not anymore. He used to enjoy going to his local pub for a pint, playing pool with his mates or going dancing. While he still did some of that, it wasn’t as much fun. He didn’t have Bilbo by his side to keep him company and he couldn’t explain what he loved most about Rivendell in the summer. 

"For one thing, we go to pubs like you do, we drink and we dance." he told them and realised that didn't sound very impressive at all.

"What about smoking? Do you have Old Toby?" Pippin asked

"No, in fact weed is actually illegal in a lot of countries."

The two hobbits looked as though both their chins had fallen to the ground.

"YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SMOKE?!" they exclaimed and Riley couldn't help but to laugh at it. He'd always loved hobbits and found them to be remarkable creatures.

"Well, there are other ways to have fun.” Riley assured them “You can go to the cinema for example."

"What's a cinema?" Pippin asked

Riley had a feeling he was going to regret all of this. "You go to the cinema to watch films on a big screen."

"What's a film?" Merry wondered

_ Oh boy,  _ Riley thought. 

"It's hard to explain, it's basically pictures that move."

Merry raised an eyebrow in scepticism. "Well that doesn't sound like much fun."

"I don't know Merry, even if hobbits don't exist in his world, they might have these…films about hobbits. Or maybe even books? Imagine if people wrote books about us Merry!"

_ Yeah,  _ Riley thought as he zoomed out of the hobbits conversation,  _ imagine that. _

* * *

"My men tell me you are orc spies."

Laura, Frodo and Sam had been bound and brought to a cave that didn't seem to be too far away from where they were originally captured. It was amazing, Laura thought, that once one of your senses was taken away from you, the others instantly kicked in. Even though she couldn’t see anything, she could take in the scents around her and hear what was going on. There was water nearby, some kind of small stream and they were in a forest of sorts but the trees were sparse. After another few moments of walking, their hoods were taken off them and they were freed of their ropes. Laura wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the thought of being mistaken for orc spies. Surely, she thought, it must be obviously to any fool with two eyes that they were not working for the enemy. 

"Orc spies?” she huffed “We definitely are not orc spies.” 

"Well if you're not spies then who are you?" The ginger-haired man crouched down in front of them and waited impatiently for an answer. "Speak!"

Frodo seemed to dwell on it for a while until he finally spoke. "We are hobbits of the Shire. Frodo Baggins is my name and this is Samwise Gamgee."

"Your bodyguard?"

Sam seemed offended. "His gardener."

The man now turned to Laura. 

"And what about you, My Lady?” he asked “What is your part in this strange trio?"

Laura wondered the same thing herself. What choices had she made in life that had brought her to this point in time? Why did Valar deem her worthy to partake in a quest, that up until then she believed to be fiction? Out of all of them, why was she meant to go with Frdo and Sam all the way to Mordor? She didn’t know much about Middle-Earth but she did know that Mordor was the one place where nobody ventured voluntarily. If they did, it was very rare they made it out with their lives intact. In the past few days, Laura wondered what their own odds were, especially if they continued to follow Gollum. Frodo was convinced that he could somehow redeem Gollum from his own emotional chains but having him do something good. Both her and Sam however, were convinced that Gollum had something else in mind. Even if his evil will wasn’t intentional because of his mental health, it was still a very real and present danger. Laura trusted Frodo, but a part of her also hoped he wouldn’t put him in danger because of the ring. 

"My name is Laura Ainsley,” Laura replied “I'm obviously not a hobbit and not from the Shire." 

"Indeed. Where are you from?” their captor asked “You have neither the looks of someone from Gondor nor from Rohan.” 

"Trust me when I say you wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"And what about your friend? The creature with an ill favoured look?"

Frodo hesitated again and Laura wondered what would happen if he told them about Gollum.

"There was no other." said the hobbit to both her and Sam's surprise. "We set out from Rivendell with twelve companions, one we lost in Moria. Two were my kin, a dwarf there was also and an elf."

"Four of them were also my friends. And the son of my friend travels with them." Laura added. There had been so much happening lately that she hadn't really had much time to think about the others, where they were and what they were up to. "There were two men as well. Aragorn son of Arathorn and Boromir of Gondor."

"You're a friend of Boromir?" their captor asked. "It will grieve you then to learn that Boromir is dead."

A silence fell and it was a very awkward silence. Nobody dared speaking for a while and a million thoughts whirled around in Laura’s mind. How was it possible that Boromir was dead? Surely, whoever this man was, made assumptions without any proof. Had they even seen a dead body at all? Then again, why was it so impossible? Laura and Frodo had left in a rush and when last they’d seen Boromir, he wasn’t exactly himself. Maybe the Fellowship had been overrun by the orcs but what did that mean for the others? Were they also dead? Was it all for nothing? No, Laura couldn’t allow herself to believe any of it and somehow, she wasn’t actually sure how, she knew in her heart that Boromir was still alive. 

"How?" Frodo asked, equally in disbelief "When?"

"As one of his companions, I'd have hoped you could tell me. His horn was washed up on the shore, cloven in two. He was my brother. I am Faramir."

Laura felt her face turn pale and the beat of her heart increased rapidly. In Rivendell, Boromir told her about his family and had even mentioned Faramir. If one thing had become clear to Laura, it was that Boromir truly loved his brother and was immensely proud of his achievements. From what she understood though, there was a complicated relationship between Faramir and their father and Boromir often spoke about the guilt he felt for how his brother was treated. 

“You knew my brother.” Faramir guessed “Rather intimately by the looks of it. You must be a special woman to have won his heart.” 

“I don’t believe he’s dead.” Laura said sharply. “I would know in my heart if he was, but I don’t think so.” 

The expression on Faramir’s face changed and Laura couldn’t quite tell if he was more relaxed or if he was on edge. 

“You clearly also love him.” Faramir realised “I am sorry to bring you such ill news.”

“Yeah well, like I said, I don’t believe your ill news.” 

Truthfully though, no matter how much Laura hoped her gut instinct was right, there was no real way of telling if Boromir or any of the others, were really alive. 

* * *

Theo was outraged. He had felt anger many times before but never like this. Throughout his life, Aragorn had always been by his side as his brother and as his friend. They had shared in many adventures, some with questionable results. The two of them were brothers in arms and bonded by so much more than blood. As a young child, Theo never quite understood why he was different from everyone else. Humans never truly saw him as one of them and some dwarrows also showed a strange disdain towards him, even though he had never done anything to harm anyone. Eventually, when he grew older, Theo knew it was because his mother was human and his father a dwarf and never before had a child been born to the two races. 

Theo recalled the day when Elrond and Fili told him about his mother and what had happened to her with extreme clarity. Until that moment, he never understood why there was always such sadness in both their eyes when they looked at him. Back then, he couldn’t understand why the Valar simply chose to take both his father and mother away from him and expect him to just live with that. It still amazed him after all this time, that Elrond and Fili both had such faith in the Valar and their will. 

As he got older, Theo often felt angry with the Valar and the suffering they had caused his family. It was always clear how much his mother was loved by everyone and even though Theo had never met her, he still felt that love for her in his heart. The day his grandfather showed him how to use Uncle Riley’s strange phone and he saw the photographs, his whole world changed. His mother was suddenly a real person he could describe and see clearly whenever he closed his eyes. Theo’s childhood was still a struggle at times though, especially when he interacted with other children, especially in Dale. 

They would often tease him because of how different he was and the way he was raised. Aragorn was always there to defend him, for which Theo was grateful. Every child he knew had one mother and one father; that was the way it was supposed to be. Theo however, had grown up with two fathers and he would have it no other way. He didn’t much care that neither Elrond nor Fili were his biological father or that Fili was actually his cousin. They had both raised and loved him as their own son and he loved them also. 

Now that his mother was back, he saw a spark in both Elrod and Fili’s eyes that he had never seen before. It was almost as though all the sorrow and heartache over the past sixty years had washed away with her return. Their family might not be what others called ‘normal’, by any stretch of the word, but they were his family. Theo wouldn’t have things any other way and he hoped that when all of this was over, they could all spend quality time together. 

That was, if Aragorn made it back alive. Theo was angry because of his brother’s recklessness and willingness to just cast himself in front of danger without so much as a thought. It had always been his way and that’s what usually got him (them both, truthfully) in trouble as young men. In fact, Theo had lost count of the amount of times they returned to Rivendell with the need to be healed by Elrond. Usually, Legolas wasn’t entirely blameless either and Elrond had given them all many lectures about responsibility. 

Since the warg attack, Maggie refused to listen to anyone who tried telling her that Aragorn was dead. Theo couldn’t quite tell if it was out of stubborness or because she knew something she couldn’t share with the rest of them. 

“Theo!” Legolas called out “Have you heard?”

Theo turned to his friend and saw the urgent expression on his face. Legolas didn’t have to say anything else because before Theo knew it, the sound of horse hoofs reached his ears. Outside, people began to talk excitedly amongst themselves. Theo pushed his way through the crowd and couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Aragorn dismount Brego. His brother certainly looked worse for wear but alive nonetheless. 

“Where is he?! Where is he!?” Gimli demanded to know “Get out of the way! I’m going to kill him!” 

The ginger haired dwarf pushed past Theo and walked right up to Argorn. A crowd gathered around him, whispering about how he could possibly be alive after he clearly died. Was his return some kind of magic they had never seen before? Theo wondered if perhaps Arwen had something to do with his return. 

“You are the luckiest, the canniest and the most reckless man I ever knew! Bless you laddie.”

Gimli embraced Aragorn in a heartfelt hug and Theo rolled his eyes. Gimli always had a flare for being dramatic but in this case, it was timely. 

“ _ Naneth _ is going to kill you,  _ muindor-nin _ .” Theo said with his arms crossed. 

“I imagine she will.” Aragorn agreed and hugged his younger brother. “Where is the king?” 

A few moments later, Aragorn pushed the doors open to the great hall of Helm’s Deep where Theoden sat on his throne. Nat and Felix were already there and strangely didn’t seem too surprised to see Aragon alive. Then, Maggie ran up to Aragorn and threw her arms around him, then she punched his shoulders and Theo couldn’t help but chuckle at Aragorn’s reaction. Their mother clearly had a strong right hook and was probably pretty good at hand to hand combat if she ever gave it a try. 

“Don’t you  _ ever  _ scare us like that again, Estel!” she warned him. “Thank fuck you’re alive.” 

“I swear she’s the only one that can get away with calling him that.” Felix whispered to Nat

It didn’t take long before King Theoden realised Aragorn was the bearer of ill-news. They all listened as Aragorn told him of what he had seen approaching Helm’s Deep. Very few things frightened Aragorn, but Theo knew his brother was frightened now. He didn’t show it, but Theo saw the look in his eyes when he spoke to King Theoden. 

“A great host you say?” Theoden asked 

“All Isengard is emptied.” Aragorn confirmed

“How many?” 

“Ten thousand strong at least.”

An army of ten thousand orcs at the command of Saruman. Theo had seen armies and fought in combat many times before. Yet he could not even begin to fathom an army of ten thousand against the small army at Theoden’s command. He didn’t need ARagorn or anyone else to tell him that they were more than outnumbered.    
  
“Oh well, isn’t that good news.” Nat sassed and theo put a gentle arm on her back. 

Theoden turned to Aragorn again “Ten thousand?”

“It is an army bred for a single purpose.” said 

“To destroy the world of men.” Felix added 

Felix was right, Theo knew and this time, even he had to admit that he was scared. 

* * *

Maggie had stood at the brink of battle before, but she had never felt the kind of tension and restlessness that hung in the air over Helm’s Deep. She could feel it in the core of her bones and it was a ghastly feeling. Maggie hated it and worst of all, it made her feel powerless because even though the battle was victorious in the book, they couldn’t really trust it anymore. Seeing so many young boys and men being kitted up for battle broke her heart. Even though Theo was a grown man and perfectly capable of making decisions for himself, she was frightened. There was no telling what might happen to him during battle. 

What if he died and she was unable to save him? Is that what the prophecy meant? That one of them would die during Helm’s Deep? Maggie knew she had no power to tell Theo to not fight because just like her, he felt duty bound to aid the Fellowship in any way he could. Besides, from what she had seen, her son was a skilled warrior and had been taught by the best. After observing Theo in battle, she could see bits of Fili and Dwalin’s combat style but more than that, she also saw Thorin in him. Whenever Theo swung his axe, his father’s determination shone in his eyes and he had Thorin’s fiery passion. Maggie wondered if Fee and Dwalin had taught him Thorin’s way of fighting on purpose, to make sure he always carried a bit of his father with him. 

“I know that look.” 

Legolas stood next to Maggie who leaned on the railing. 

"What look would that be ‘Las?" Maggie asked

"You're worried and scared about what will happen tonight.” Legolas guessed “I have seen that look on many before."

“I am scared ‘Las.” Maggie admitted “I am scared for Felix and Nat who have never seen battle like this before. I lived through the Five Armies and I know how it changes you. So far, we have fought orcs and goblins but when human life is at stake, it’s different. They have no idea how that can affect you and there’s no way I can even begin to prepare them. I am also worried for my sons even though I know they have both seen battle before, but I don’t want them to be hurt or worse. I lost them once Legolas and I cannot lose them again.” 

Maggie felt the tears she'd been holding back streaming down her eyes and to her surprise, Legolas dried them away. Over the years, Maggie knew Legolas to be somebody who did not show a lot of physical affection so when he did, it always felt like an honor. 

"Being frightened is not a weakness, Maggie," said Leglas “It is also understandable to feel powerless but we are not. We are fighting for something Sauron cannot begin to understand; the love for that which we hold dear. We fight for Frodo, for Sam and for Laura. We are fighting for a Middle-Earth where your family can be safe from the forces of Sauron’s evil. And of course, Maggie realised that Legolas was right. However, it didn't make her any less terrified.

“I don’t know how you manage to stay so calm through all of -” 

Maggie’s words were interrupted by an overwhelming wave of nausea that erupted inside her. When she turned to Legolas, her vision blurred and before Maggie knew it, she bent over and heaved out the contents of her stomach, barely missing Legolas’ boots. Maggie didn’t need a doctor to know what was wrong with her, because she had felt that kind of nausea before. Even though she had to admit that this time, it was a little more extreme than she recalled. 

“God damnit.” she cursed “Why are the Sons of Durin so fucking potent.” 

Legolas bent down in front of her and placed his hands on Maggie’s shoulder. When the Prince of Mirkwood looked into her eyes, Maggie didn’t have to tell him because Legolas already knew. 

“Should I get Aragorn and Theo?” he asked “Or would you prefer Lady Eowyn?” 

“One second, ‘Las.” 

Maggie retched again and exhaled a deep breath. She hated the awful stench and aftertaste vomit left behind. Her most vivid memories from her pregnancy with Theo was the morning sickness which was persistent for months. With a normal pregnancy, the morning sickness only lasted for a little while but with a half-human and half-dwarrow child, everything was much more intense. Maggie also wondered if the dimension-jumping scrambled their physical health as well, even though she ought to be used to it by now. If she really was pregnant, the timing wasn’t amazing but then again, it might also be the only chance her and Fili had if things didn’t go well. Finally, when Maggie trusted she wouldn’t vomit again, Maggie steadied herself on Legolas’ shoulder. 

“How long have you known, ‘Las?” Maggie asked “You never miss out on any details.” 

“I’ve been suspecting it for a few weeks.” Legolas replied, “You have been sensitive to scents and sleeping uneasily. You have also been a bit...what did Felix call it...moody.” 

“Have you told Aragorn or Theo?” 

Legolas shook his head and Maggie relaxed. She wasn’t exactly sure how her sons would react to her being pregnant. It wasn’t that she thought they would be upset about it, but more than anything she figured they would become even more protective than they already were. If Master Oin was there, he would be able to tell Maggie how the baby was doing and how best to proceed. She wondered if Eowyn knew anything about midwifery or if there were other ways to tell she was definitely pregnant. However she felt though, now was not the time to worry about that especially as there far more urgent matters ahead. 

* * *

Maggie felt as though the rest of the day passed by in a daze. People were anxious and cranky and nobody could blame them really. Every abled man and even boy if he wasn't too young were commanded to fight. If they didn't, they would all be seriously outnumbered by Sauron's army and it wasn’t as if their odds were great to begin with. Waiting for battle to begin was far worse than actually being in the midst of it. They were all restless and Maggie saw the frustration in both of her son’s, but none more clearly than Aragorn. After the conversation with Theoden, she heard Aragorn actually arguing with Legolas, which was rare. Aragorn was always someone with a calm temper and he rarely angered. He certainly didn’t snap at people but his argument with Legolas had echoed and they all heard the confrontation. 

By nightfall, which came way too quickly, Maggie finally found Aragorn sitting on the steps where she had been earlier that morning. 

"So, do you want to talk about it?" she asked 

The ranger shook his head "No. There are no words to say.” he told her “The battle is inevitable; we can only wait to see how it will end."

Aragorn sounded almost hopeless which broke Maggie’s heart. She knew he had a heavy weight on his shoulders and that much was expected of him. She wished there was something she could say or do that would make him feel better about everything, but she also understood his concerns. 

"You are so old," said Maggie as she took Aragorn's hands. "And I mean that in a non-offensive way of course. I just mean, you're wise. People look up to you. I look up to you."

“It is supposed to be the other way around.” Aragorn teased “A son is supposed to look up to his mother.” 

“Yeah well, when has our family ever done what’s expected of us?”

Maggie was about to reply but she then noticed a boy watching them not too far away. He didn't look old, about thirteen or fourteen at the most. He was carrying a sword that seemed way too heavy for him to swing and he looked terrified.

"Give me your sword." Aragorn told him

The boy seemed to hesitate for a while but then walked over to them and handed Aragorn his blade.

"What is your name?" Aragorn asked

"My name is Hallas." the boy replied "The men are saying we will not live out the night. They say that it is hopeless."

"Oh god…" Maggie whispered quietly and felt the fear beginning to creep up on her.

Aragorn got up and swung the sword around a couple times and then gave it back to the boy and put his hand on his shoulder. "This is a good sword. Hallas, son of Hamna; there is  _ always _ hope."

_ Yeah,  _ thought Maggie,  _ and that hope is you. _

* * *

Felix was tired and not just due to his lack of sleep. He was fatigued in a way he had never experienced before. Worst of all, he was also scared. There was no way in high hell he had good enough combat skills to fight Saruman’s army of orcs. Goblins sure, but orcs and uruk hai that were solely bred for wiping out the world of men; no way. Felix was not qualified for anything like that and he faced the very real possibility that he might not make it out alive. One of his great traits however, was his survival instincts, which had come in handy on more than one occasion. He remembered a time during a road trip through the States with some university friends and an old boyfriend. One night, they woke up to strange noises around their camp but had been too afraid to investigate it at that point in time. The next morning, Felix saw mountain lion footprints outside the tents and realised they must have been followed for a while throughout their trek. It didn't take long enough for them all to pack up their camp and get the hell out of dodge. 

"Guys!”

Felix and Nat turned around to Maggie who joined them outside. All able bodied men were gathered and awaiting order for what to do next. Felix was kitted for battle and hated how heavy the armour weighed on his body. It had taken some convincing of Theoden, but even Nat and Maggie were prepared for combat. If it was one thing Felix had learned over the past two months, it was that family was who you chose to love no matter who they were or how you were related. Despite the horror of it all, Felix couldn’t be happier to share this experience with his sisters. 

"There you are! How's Aragorn!" Nat asked worriedly 

"He's alright, he's good. I think it's just, you know…all of this. It's starting to get to him, to everyone." Maggie said

"Yeah, tell me about it." Felix said. The three friends all stood in silence for a while. It was like they all wanted to say something but none of them knew where to begin. It was all suddenly starting to become very real to them.

"Look I just want to say, before all this kicks off, before we go out there. I'm glad I came here and I'm glad I'm here with you." Felix told them. It felt like a heavy lump in his stomach and then he felt the tears gathering in his eyes.

"Oh Felix; we're going to live this out. We're going to survive. I'll be damned if I let some ugly arse orcs get the—"

Nat was cut off by the sound of a horn in the distance and the three of them exchanged confused glances.

"What was that?" Felix asked

"I don't know but something tells me it isn't orcs." Maggie replied

They hurried through the corridors of Helm's Deep and when they got outside they met up with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Théoden and Eowyn; all of them gathered by the front gate and all of the with equally astonished expressions in their eyes as an army of elves marched up to the front gate.

"Oh. My. God." Nat whispered as she saw Haldir standing in front of them.

"How is this possible?" Théoden asked

"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell," said Haldir and as he did his glance fell on Maggie. "An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. Long ago, we fought and died together. We come to honour that allegiance."

"Haldir!" Aragorn called out " _ Mae Govannen _ !" Instead of offering a handshake Aragorn gave Haldir a big hug which seemed to catch the elf somewhat off guard but he welcomed it nonetheless.

"You are most welcome!" said Aragorn

"We are proud to fight alongside men once more."

“Maggie, I bloody love your boyfriend.” Felix said 

Yeah, Maggie thought, so do I. 

They might just stand a chance at surviving this after all. 

**_To be continued….._ **

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
> _Okay, finally the end of the chapter. I’m sorry it wasn’t terribly interesting but I promise the next one will be full with more twists and turns. So, Maggie is pregnant again? How do we feel about that? What about Laura’s encounter with Faramir? Let me know in the comments and leave kudos._**
> 
> **I know Boromir was kind of left out of this one because of all drama in the family (I make them sound like a mafia group) but I promise next chapter will feature Bormir's pov.  
>  **


	11. Helm's Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they battle for Helm's Deep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** And I’m back! Life is a little more normal even though I’m still on my second week of quarantine. Getting a little bored now. Anyone else in the same boat? Anyway, we’re heading into Helm’s Deep in this chapter. The points of view will be varied but featuring Legolas and Boromir. Long paragraphs in italics are flashbacks. This is a long-ish one, folks so buckle up and enjoy! 

**Eleven**

_ Helm’s Deep  _

_ "You don't have to go with them, Laura. You can stay here with us and I could take you with us to Minas Tirith where it is safe. The road you're headed for is extremely dangerous." _

_ "I know, but that's why I have to go with them. I made a promise and I don't intend on breaking it." Faramir seemed both worried and disappointed, but he only asked once. There was a part of Laura buried deep inside her that would have loved to be somewhere safe. Somewhere far away from all of this darkness began to see more of every day. Especially in Frodo, even though the Hobbit tried not to show it. The ring had changed him and Laura wasn’t sure how long it would take before it began to take a real toll on him. No matter how scared she was, she had made up her mind and her heart was certain; she would never be able to live with herself if she just left Frodo and Sam alone to Mordor. _

_ "I hope we shall meet again." said Faramir and kissed Laura's hand before she left with Frodo, Sam and Gollum. “I’m keen to know the woman my brother has chosen as his.”  _

_ …... _ "You're far away." Frodo's voice made Laura snap out of her thoughts and when she turned to face the brown-haired hobbit, he looked at her with an expression of slight concern. It was amazing to Laura, how quickly she had formed such a close bond with both Frodo and Sam. 

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about something else." Laura replied

Laura heard Sam’s gentle snores by the campfire and marvelled at how safe the familiar sound made her feel. Boromir also snored, but very gently and while it was a sound that normally annoyed Laura, she’d found comfort in it. The thought of her distant lover reminded itself in the sound of a sigh that escaped her lips. Those two weeks with him in Rivendell felt almost like a lifetime. Maybe it was the presence of the elves that made it feel like time stood still there, but Laura had never felt such tranquility anywhere else. She wondered what Minas Tirith was like and if she would ever get to see it with Boromir. It was strange really, Laura thought, that she knew with certainty how much she loved Boromir. To some, it might seem rushed and even absurd but Maggie and Nat never questioned it. If anything, Maggie was the one person who understood how sudden love could just knock on your doorstep. Laura had never been in love before and truthfully, she’d never even been in a real relationship with anyone. Kissing Bobby Mackintosh in year 6 certainly did not count. She wondered if it was this intense for Maggie and Thorin during the quest for Erebor? 

"I've been meaning to ask you, why didn't you stay?” Frodo wondered quietly “When Faramir offered; you could be safe right now." Laura knew that It wasn't that Frodo didn't want to have her with them on their journey. In fact, they were all very happy in each other’s company. Perhaps it made him wonder, just like everyone else seemed to, why you would willingly choose danger and almost certain death over the kind of safety Faramir had offered her. 

"Because if I stayed that means I would have given up, on you, on Sam on and on our friends. I'm seeing this one through all the way, whether or not I come out of it alive." Laura told them and she couldn't help but to wonder if they ever would come out of it alive.

* * *

Boromir feared battle, which was absurd really because he had been preparing for it all his life. Ever since he was a young boy, he and Faramir would watch the older soldier ride out from the grand gates of Minas Tirith and aid their allies in combat somewhere faraway. In those days, Boromir dreamed of being a hero and the glory that came with slaying enemies in the thousands. Every child in Gondor grew up hearing stories of Sauron’s terrible power and the darkness of Mordor was practically on their doorstep. As children, both Boromir and Faramir had grown up hearing stories about a company of dwarves setting out to reclaim their homeland with the help of a Grey Wizard and two humans that supposedly hailed from a strange land beyond the border of Middle-Earth. Boromir used to think it was a fairytale but the older he got, the more he realised it was indeed a real story. Then one day, Lord Amandil of Andunie travelled to Minas Tirith and sought to settle an old dispute between the House of Stewards. 

Even though he was only young back then, Boromir could still tell his father, Lord Denethor, disliked the old Numenorean. Gondor needed no king on their throne but to his father’s surprise, Lord Amandil did not want the throne. He told Denethor that he could remain Steward of Gondor but to take on Amandil as his advisor. Gondor needed someone who knew the history of its people and someone who could be an emissary between men, elves and dwarves. When Boromir’s father asked what possible ties he had to the dwarves, Amandil told him about his grandson who was the heir to Erebor. Truthfully, Boromir always thought his father was a bit intimidated by Amandil but he still accepted him as an advisor and throughout his childhood,he had been loyal to their family. Sure enough, as Amandil also promised, the relations between the dwarf and elf kingdoms were strengthened but his own father still remained reserved and distrustful of strangers who ventured in their city. 

It was Amandil who first told Boromir and indeed also Faramir, that there would come a time when Sauron’s evil would reach its peak. Amandil had told them that his old friend, Lord Elrond, would hold a council and decide how best to proceed as the weapon of the enemy had arrived in Rivendell. At first, Boromir suggested that it was Faramir who should go to Rivendell because Boromir always felt his place was in the heart of the city, where their people needed him the most. After all those years of wanting to be a warrior and a hero, the people of Minas Tirith looked up to him as their protector. He would not let them down. Boromir just wished that his father would see Faramir in the same way, because the people also loved his brother. Still, deep down, Boromir knew that the old steward took out the fate of their mother on Faramir even though it was not his fault. 

The thought of his little brother filled Boromir with a melancholy sadness and worry. They had always been close and each other’s best friends. There was no person Boromir trusted more in his life than Faramir. More than anything, the Captain of Gondor wished he could tell his brother about Laura, the woman who had so suddenly filled his heart with a love he never knew was possible for one man to feel. There was no single doubt in his mind that she was the one he was supposed to marry and he wanted Faramir to meet her. Even his father would like Laura, of that he was certain. Boromir missed the scent of her vaguely perfumed skin and stroking her soft hair. He hated the thought that the last image Laura had of him, might be the ring taking control over his will. That was not the man Boromir was nor was it the man he wanted to be. He wanted to marry Laura Ainsley, to protect her, to have and to hold. 

He would just need to make sure to survive this battle first. 

* * *

Legolas stood and watched the army marching towards Helm’s Deep with confidence. The chanting was intimidating even to his ears, but it was not the first time he had seen battle and nor would it be the last. However, for many others there that night, it would be their last. Some of the men that stood around them had probably fought in battle before, but long ago. The prince of Mirkwood wondered how well their hands remembered how to wield a sword or how the young boys would feel when striking a killing blow for the first time. While it wasn’t men they would be killing, men around them would no doubt die. Seeing the devastating and very real effects of battle at such a young age would have long-lasting trauma. 

Looking around him, Legolas couldn’t help but wonder how Felix and Nat would fare in battle. They’d proven themselves good in combat back in Moria but fighting Goblins were far different from orcs. Then there was Maggie, which was the blonde prince’s most recent cause for worry. Usually when it came to Maggie, Legolas didn’t worry at all because he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself. However, now that she revealed her pregnancy to him, he was not comfortable with the idea of her in battle. Admittedly, it wasn’t the first time Maggie had fought while pregnant and the last time she had survived. Although, the Battle of the Five Armies was not at all on the same scale as Helm’s Deep was sure to be. If anything happened to Maggie and the baby as a result of his agreement to not tell anyone, Legolas would never forgive himself. 

Of course, he was happy for his friend and was excited that there would be another child born. During times of war, people wanted a glimmer of hope and nothing brought people together like the birth of a child. What worried Legolas was what would happen if Sauron found out about Maggie’s pregnancy. Once before, the Dark Lord had tried to take her child away from her without success and Legolas knew in his heart that he would try again, if presented with an opportunity. 

Unlike the others, Battle Terror was nothing new to Maggie and Legolas hoped that her experience would work in her favour. It was strange to think that all those years ago, in his father’s palace, Legolas had hated Maggie. He recalled clearly thinking that this strange young woman was nothing but a liar and a thief who told her lies about how he would become friends with a dwarf. Now, Legolas found himself quite fond of Maggie and loved her like a little sister. 

“Maggie is pregnant again.” 

Legolas' voice was hushed and drowned out by the heavy rain. He knew that Gimli heard him though because dwarves had an annoyingly keen sense of hearing. The dreary weather matched the mood of the fortress and Legolas sensed the fear lingering in the air. Once upon a time, he thought that humans were weak for openly showing their emotions. After spending so many years in the company of Aragorn and Theo, he knew now that it was not a weakness. 

“Indeed.” Gimli said and hardly seemed bothered. 

“Fili couldn’t wait until after the war to put a child in his wife?” Legolas wondered, partly tongue in cheek. 

“Fili might not have had an opportunity after the war, laddie.” 

Legolas had to admit that it was a fair point. There was no telling when Fili and Maggie would be able to see each other again, especially if things went badly for them in Helm’s Deep. 

"What's happening out there?" Gimli asked impatiently as he jumped up and down trying to catch a glimpse of the army on the other side of the wall

"Shall I describe it to you?" Legolas asked with a glint in his eyes "Or would you like me to find you a box." 

Legolas assumed that Gimli would be ticked off by his retort but instead, the ginger-haired dwarf laughed. In earnest, it was actually a bit of a relief amidst all the tension. The relief was not long-lasting. The army of orcs stopped not far from Helm’s Deep, chanting like a field of rugby fans before an intense game. At first, the chanting abruptly ceased and there was complete silence. Legolas looked around and saw Nat, Maggie and Felix together, each of them with tense expressions in their eyes. Theo stood next to Boromir whose hand firmly grasped his sword. As for Aragorn, he stood at the front next to Haldir and the rest of the elven army. Aragorn commanded the army to hold their fire but one of the older soldiers accidentally released an arrow which instantly killed one of the orcs on the other side. And just like that, the battle began. 

Even with Aragorn’s command, there was almost instant chaos. The orc army immediately set their aim at the entrance of Helm’s Deep, using ladders to climb up the walls of the castle and finding a way to penetrate the entrance. It wasn’t long before the first orcs had managed to climb over the wall. 

"LEGOLAS!" Gimli bellowed.at the top of his voice "Two already!" he was referring to the number of orcs he had already killed.

"I'm on seventeen!" the elf countered proudly

"You can both screw yourselves!" said Felix as he just cut the head off an orc charging for him "I'm on twenty-one!"

“Good job, Felix!” Boromir called out “If we work as a team, we could beat both the elf and the dwarf!” 

“You’re on, mate!”

In the midst of the fighting, Legolas caught Maggie’s eye and she just rolled her eyes while mumbling something about ‘boys’. Maggie was fighting alongside both her sons and Legolas was somewhat amused by the resemblance in their fighting style. Theo was a strong warrior and both Fili and Dwalin had done a fantastic job training him since he was young. 

"Aragorn, behind you!" Aragorn quickly turned around and stabbed the orc Nat warned him about and returned the favour as he decapitated the head off another one right behind Nat.

"Cheers." she told him

"You're welcome. You're doing quite well." Two orcs aimed for them so somehow they managed to kill two birds with one stone and it didn't take long before the orcs were lying dead in front of them.

Maybe, Legolas thought, just maybe they had a chance at surviving this. 

* * *

"Riley! Merry!" Riley had been nodding off to sleep again when Pippin called his name. It was hours later and the ents were somehow still in council (or Hell as Riley liked to call it). When Treebeard came up to them, it seemed they had finally made a decision about what they were going to do.

"We have agreed that you are not orcs!" Treebeard announced

If his sister was there with them, Riley knew, she would have a thing or two to tell Treebeard about the speed at which things were handled. Looking back at things, it was no wonder Maggie and Thorin had argued so much because they both had short tempers. The thought of his sister made Riley wonder how the others were doing. How were Laura and the hobbits doing on their journey? Had they already met Gollum? Even though Laura didn’t have as much knowledge about Middle-Earth as the rest of them, Riley hoped she would be able to convince Frodo of Gollum’s true intentions. If he remembered the timeline correctly, the others would be getting ready for Helm’s Deep around now and he hoped the others would be okay. 

"That's hardly anything new!" Riley had to admit that he was a little frustrated. The battle was closing up on them and he wanted to be able to take part in it.

"What about Saruman?" Merry asked "Have you come to a decision about him?" Clearly it was annoying him as much as it was Riley.

"Now don't be hasty Master Meriadoc." said Treebeard as if there was no trouble at all.

"Hasty? Our friends are out there! They need our help! They cannot fight this war on their own!"

"Easy Merry." Riley put a hand on the hobbit's shoulder. Although he could see where he was coming from because he agreed, Riley also thought there was no point in arguing with Treebeard.

"The war affects us all." said Treebeard "But you have to understand, young hobbit, that it takes a very long time to say anything in Entish and we never say anything unless it takes a long time to say."

Riley sighed and sat back down on the ground. "This is going to be a very long night."

Merry, Pippin and Riley all sat in silence and all of them equally disappointed. When Treebeard eventually told them about their final decision it wasn't what they had hoped for and neither of them knew what to do about it. Pippin was the first one to break the silence. "Maybe Treebeard is right Merry." he told his friend "We don't belong here. It's too big for us. What can we do? We've got the Shire. Maybe we should go home."

"Riley can't go home Pippin. He has to stay and the fires of Isengard will spread. The woods of Buckland will burn and all once green and good in this world will be gone. There won't be a Shire Pippin." Merry turned around Riley. "And besides; it wouldn't be fair if we left you. We're in this together; brothers in arms." A smile spread across Riley's face and right at that moment he couldn't help but to feel extremely proud of the two hobbits.

"He's right, you know Pip. We need to do this and not just for the Shire. For Laura, Sam and Frodo. For all the others. We need to do our part."

They were right, Pippin realised, but some part of the young Peregrin Took wondered and thought that perhaps he should never have left Hobbiton to begin with.

* * *

"Twenty! Twenty-one! Twenty-two!"

"Thirty-four! Thirty-five!"

Nat raised an eyebrow as she heard Gimli, Felix and Legolas counting the number of orcs they had killed thus far. "You've got to be kidding me? You're keeping score?" she told them

"Hey, I'm winning!" Felix told her triumphantly

Nat rolled her eyes and then gasped as Theo grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her aside, just before an orc hammer landed in front of her feet. Then, something else happened that caught all of their attention. There was a sonic boom, followed by a loud explosion. Nat, Theo and Felix realised that parts of the wall had been blown to pieces and collapsed in front of their eyes. Then came the next thing; water flooding. 

"Where's Aragorn?" Maggie asked as she ran towards them. Nat realised Aragorn wasn't there but when she looked around, she saw the ranger had been cast over the wall and down to the ground. He didn't seem to be harmed though because he was up on his feet and charging the elves towards the orcs trying to get through to Helm's Deep. Somewhere in the middle of the crowd, Boromir was cutting down orcs in his path like he had been born for nothing else. 

"Legolas, what are you doing?" Nat asked

The elf was firing arrows and then suddenly he grabbed a shield, jumped onto it, then to Nat, Felix and Maggie’s awe, skateboarded down the stairs.

"Okay," Felix admitted "I'm officially a little bit in love with him."

It seemed to Nat like the battle had gone on forever and she'd lost track of time. She was exhausted but ignored that and kept on fighting with all the energy he had left. Never had she felt such a rush of adrenaline through her body and she felt unstoppable. Every now and then, Nat caught sight of Theo effortlessly taking out the orcs. Strangely, in that moment, he’d never been as attractive to Nat. No matter how many orcs they killed off it just seemed like more appeared and that they would never die. Nat wasn't sure who was leading the headcount competition between Felix, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli but before she could ponder further about that, she caught sight of a huge orc. The ugly creature aimed for Haldir who used his shield and sword to protect himself but it wasn’t going well. 

"HALDIR!" Nat shouted. The march-warden had turned around but the orc had caught him off guard and he fell to the ground. Judging by the expression on Haldir’s face, he was expecting to get his head cut off any minute but instead he saw the orc's head rolling off on the ground and landed next to him. To his complete and utter surprise Haldir looked up and saw Nat in front of him, with a hand reached out to help him back up onto his feet which Haldir gladly accepted.

"I owe you my life." said Haldir

"A pint of ale will do just fine. Come on, it's not over yet."

* * *

“Come on! We can take them!" 

So far, Maggie had managed to avoid any severe injuries and she knew Legolas kept an eye on her. When the battle was over, if they survived, Maggie knew she would have to tell the others about her news. She also knew they would all lecture and scold her for being so reckless and participating in battle. 

"That's a long way to go." Maggie whispered. Together with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, they managed to sneak out of the orcs' sight and were standing on the other side of the bridge, watching as they were trying to break in.

"Aragorn, toss me." Both Maggie and Aragorn looked at the dwarf sceptically, knowing how proud he was and that he hadn't wanted anyone to toss him in Moria.

"What?" Aragorn asked

"I cannot jump that far! Toss me!"

Aragorn nodded as both he and Nat grabbed hold of Gimli.

"Wait!" said the dwarf "Don't tell the elf!"

"Not a word." Aragorn promised. With those words Aragorn and Maggie in combined strength tossed Gimli across to the bridge. If anything it was definitely a sight nobody wanted to forget.

"Are you ready?" Aragorn asked Maggie 

"Ready as I'll ever be." Knowing they were all going to be ridiculously sore in the morning, Aragorn and Maggie both jumped over to the bridge and joined Gimli which wasn't something the orcs had expected.

Somehow, Maggie managed to land on both feet (thank Fili’s battle training for that) and as she was about to run after Aragorn and Gimli, something else caught her attention. In the corner of her eyes, she saw the sight of something she would remember for the rest of her life. 

"Aragorn! Look!" Aragorn turned his attention to Maggie and when he saw where she was pointing a feeling of relief as well as astonishment going through him. Just as he had been promised and told; it was Gandalf and Riders of Rohan riding down the slope and they knew then that the orcs had absolutely no chance of winning.

"Now  _ that _ is cool." Maggie said

* * *

_ Now this will be a story to tell my kids,  _ Riley thought. He was sat on Treebeard's shoulder next to Merry. Pippin was on the other side and they were throwing rocks and anything they could get hold of at the orcs down below. When the ents and had realised that part of Fangorn Forest had been burnt down and torn apart by Saruman that immediately changed their mind and they had in that moment decided to go to war. From a distance, Riley thought he could see Saruman himself looking out of the tower at the scene in front of him.

"Yeah you better believe it old man, you're not gonna win this one."

* * *

"The orcs! They're running into the forest!" someone said. The battle had finally begun to subside and the remaining orcs had chosen to run away whilst they still had the chance. Except when they got into the forest something happened and Felix swore it sounded like the orcs had literally been swallowed by the ground beneath them.

"Felix!" Felix turned around to Nat who practically jumped into his arms and hugged him, relieved and glad that they were both alive.

"I told you we'd survive didn't I?" Nat whispered

"You know Felix, stubborn as ever." It was Maggie who spoke and they all hugged. 

"He is a good and loyal friend," said Haldir who'd been listening. "Such traits are rare these days; you should both hold onto him."

Both Maggie and Nat stared at Haldir as if he were a ghost because there were two versions of his fate; one where he died and one where he stayed alive. 

"You're—" Maggie started but they were both cut off by Legolas who walked up to them. The elf-prince was holding his bow in his hand triumphantly and looked at Felix and then to Gimli who was sat on a dead orc smoking a pipe.

"Final count. Forty-two." said Legolas proudly.

"Forty-two." Gimli was laughing and there was clear sarcasm in his voice. "That's not bad for a pointy-eared elvish princeling. I myself am sitting pretty on forty-three."

"Dude; you're both shameful." Felix told them. He could not wait to see their face. "I got  _ forty-five _ .” 

Maggie turned to Theo who also joined them. She was relieved to see both her sons alive, even though Theo had a few scars on his face. 

“You didn’t participate in the wage?” Maggie wondered “I’m surprised.” 

“I didn’t participate because I did not want to put them to shame.” Theo sassed

“There’s my boy.” 

Even in all the humour, Maggie knew that this was just one test of many to come. 

* * *

"I wonder if we'll ever be put into songs and tales."

Laura and Frodo both turned around to Sam. It had been a long day and the walk ahead of them was even longer but there was something in all three of them that made them feel more certain than before that they were going to make it to Mordor.

"What?" Frodo asked

"I wonder if people will ever say 'Let's hear about Frodo and the ring!' and I'll say 'Yes that's one of my favourite stories!'."

Then Laura who had been quiet up until then started humming a quiet tune that at that moment seemed to fit right in. " _ Sing me a story of heroes of the Shire, muddling through brave and true; stubborn as bindweed and tough as old briar, never too showy or grand. Year after year they persevere, now and for always _ ."

The two hobbits looked at her, both of the equally surprised. " _ Sing me a story of Frodo and the ring; fearless and bold _ ,"

Frodo chuckled"tired and cold,"

" _ A sword at his side an elf-blade called Sting crossing a miserable land, wouldn't retreat, and just followed his feet, now and for always _ ."

"You left out one of the chief characters! I want to hear more about Sam! Samwise the Brave!" It was Frodo who cut in now. " _ Sing me a tale of the bravest of them all; comrade and guide at my side, stout-hearted Sam who wouldn't let me fall holding my life in his hand, true to the end no finer friend, now and for always _ ."

The singing died out and Frodo looked at Sam. "Frodo wouldn't have gotten far without Sam."

"Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun. I was being serious." Sam said quietly and Laura was sure she could see the hobbit blushing.

"So was I."

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we are, Helm’s Deep! I know everything was a bit fast paced but the battle is pretty fast paced in the movie and I wanted to see what Laura and Riley got up to as well. What did you guys think about Legolas and Boromir’s points of view? I found Boromir very difficult to write but a fun challenge. Next up: reuniting with Riley and the hobbits, and will Maggie tell the others her news? How will they react? Leave a comment and let me know! 


	12. Maggie shares her news

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maggie tells the others of her news and we get a deep dive into Gimli's mind...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Oh look, another update! This one goes a bit more off-script and does a deep dive into Maggie’s inner monologues again. Long paragraphs in italics are the dreamscape visiony things. This chapter isn’t going to be quite as long as the others, but I still wanted this little in-between the action sequence. I hope you’re still enjoying it and that it isn’t boring. 

**Twelve**

_ Maggie shares her news  _

The Battle of Helm’s Deep had been a hard won victory. Sadly, many had lost their lives which was inevitable when it came to battle, but Maggie was beyond relieved that her family and friends were alive. They all had a few injuries but none that were fatal and more importantly, all their limbs were intact. Maggie was thoroughly impressed with Felix and Nat’s efforts throughout the battle. Both of them had shown no fear and used the few combat skills they had very well. As for Maggie herself, she was definitely rusty when it came to physical combat but she remembered the lessons from both Thorin and Dwalin. Perhaps, when she eventually returned to Erebor, she would ask Dwalin for some more lessons. 

After the battle, the women of Rohan (led by Eowyn) patched helped patch up the wounds of their men. Eomer and the Riders of Rohan were greeted by King Theoden as long lost heroes returning to their homeland. There was no resentment between them and Theoden was happy to see his nephew again. Maybe, just maybe, Maggie had judged Theoden too quickly. He was a good man with his heart in the right place. Ruling an entire kingdom could not be an easy job, particularly during times of war when so much was at stake. 

It was good to see Gandalf again and Maggie could immediately tell by the look in the wizard’s eyes that he knew of her news. He didn’t say anything about it though and Maggie figured it was probably because she needed to be the one to tell the others. Truthfully, the youngest Spencer was rather nervous about announcing her pregnancy to the others. Was she perhaps being selfish? After all, she had only just been reunited with Theo and wanted to spend as much time with him as possible while they were able to. Would he feel offended or neglected that she was having another child with Fili in the middle of all this? As much as she hated admitting it, being pregnant also made her vulnerable and she wasn’t sure how Theoden would feel about a liability. Especially one that Sauron personally despised. Still, Maggie knew in her heart that she wanted nothing more than to have a child with Fili. Even if the moment wasn’t exactly opportune, it might be the only moment they had if things were to end badly somehow. Maggie had lived through war while pregnant before and she knew the risks that came with it. She could already hear her brother’s voice in her head but at least this time, he wasn’t going to punch her husband. 

That night, when the intensity and adrenaline of the battle finally faded, Maggie drifted into an uneasy and heavy sleep.

……

_ Maggie always knew she was in Elrond’s weird dreamscape reality because the surroundings were always slightly hazy. She wasn't in Rivendell this time but instead, Maggie found herself standing in a very familiar bedchamber. She recognised the heavy iron doors and the fireplace with fur coats and cushions placed in front of it. This used to be her and Thorin’s bedchamber. For a few moments, Maggie’s heartbeat increased until she calmed herself and realised that it was probably Fili’s bedchamber now. She hadn’t stood in that room since Thorin’s death and it was strange being back. However, Maggie would have to deal with those emotions later because she was suddenly overcome with another emotion. Worry. Why had Elrond brought her to Erebor?  _

_ “Maggie.”  _

_ Elrond’s voice startled her at first and she turned to her partner who sat by the bed. Tucked between the sheets was Fili. He was shirtless, with several layers of bandage wrapped around his chest. Maggie recognised some of Oin’s healing herbs on the bedside table and Fili also had a wet towel on his forehead, no doubt decreasing his unmistakable fever. The blonde dwarf king was asleep and Elrond offered Maggie his place on the chair. A million thoughts began to surface in Maggie’s head. How had he been injured and how long ago? She had almost forgotten about the Battle For Dale and she wondered how the city had fared. Maggie also felt an extreme amount of guilt because she’d been so focused on her own part in the quest, that she hadn’t lent much thought to her own kingdom. What kind of queen would she be if she didn’t consider the fate of her own people?  _

_ “Elrond, what happened to him?” Maggie asked as she gently touched Fili’s hand.  _

_ “Dale was overrun by Saruman’s orcs and Fili led the army of dwarves together with Bard the II. They were on the front line and just as victory was declared, Fili was struck by one of the enemy.” Elrond explained  _

_ “Is he going to be alright?”  _

_ “Both Oin and I have done our healing. It is up to Fili to do the rest.”  _

_ Tears began to well up in Maggie’s eyes and she suddenly felt a fear that was new to her. It hadn’t even registered as a possibility to her that Fili might not live through the war. All this time, she’d been so certain that when everything was over, she would return to Erebor with him. Now, seeing him wounded, Maggie suddenly felt frightened and powerless. She turned to Elrond who embraced her.  _

_ “It will be alright, melemin.” Elrond assured her. “Fili is strong in both body and mind.”  _

_ “I can’t lose him, Elrond.” Maggie sobbed “Not now.”  _

_ Maggie looked up at the elf-lord who gently brushed strands of hair out of her face. Elrond’s eyes were always so calming and no matter how scared or sad Maggie felt, he could always make her feel at ease.  _

_ “You’re with child, aren’t you?” Elrond guessed. “I know you said that you and Fili were trying in Imladris but I did not think the effect would be so soon.”  _

_ “I’m sorry.” Maggie apologised. “I know it’s not great timing.”  _

_ Elrond raised an eyebrow in the way he always did when he was uncertain or disagreed about something.  _

_ “Why are you apologising?” he wondered “This is wonderful news, melemin. Our family is growing! You will experience motherhood again! Fili has long been wanting to be a father and I too am excited.” _

_ The sound of movement from the bed caught Maggie’s attention and she quickly turned around. Fili stirred between the sheets and mumbled, but when he opened his eyes and saw Maggie kneeling beside him, he seemed more awake and alert.  _

_ “Fili, my brave king.” Maggie whispered as she stroked his cheek.  _

_ “Are you really here?” Fili asked “Or is this Elrond’s elf-magic?”  _

_ Fili coughed and as he did, Maggie could tell it was painful. While he wasn’t necessarily bleeding anymore, Maggie figured any sudden movement might cause the wound to erupt again.  _

_ “I’m sorry you have to see me like this.” Fili said “I’m glad I get to see you before I….”  _

_ “No, no, no. Don’t you dare even think about it. You are  _ not  _ going to die, Fee.” Maggie assured him “Besides, you have to be alive if you’re going to meet the latest addition to our family.” _

_ Maggie took Fili’s hand and placed it on her stomach. Fili looked up with his eyes suddenly wide with a glimmer of hope.  _

_ “You’re pregnant?” he asked. _

_ “Yep.” Maggie replied “I think it’s a girl this time.”  _

_ “I’m to be a father of a little girl?”  _

_ The smile on Fili’s face, despite being in pain, made Maggie realise how much she wanted to be a mother again. He coughed again and Maggie gently stroked his chin. She then felt Elrond’s arm on her waist and she knew it was time to go. _

_ “Rest now, my love.” Maggie soothed him “We will see each other before you know it. I love you, Fili.” _

_ …….. _

When Maggie opened her eyes again, it was sunlight outside. Almost instantly, that all too familiar wave of nausea rolled over her and somehow, there was an empty bucket close to her mattress which she emptied her insides into. Her pregnancy with Theo had been unpleasant, but the morning sickness was not as intense as this one seemed to be. That’s why Maggie guessed her child was a girl.

“Oh christ,” Maggie mumbled “I forgot how much I hate this.” 

A gentle hand on her back alerted her to the presence of Aragorn who crouched down in front of her. Maggie waited until she was absolutely sure she wouldn’t puke again, before she looked up at him. Aragorn’s face was calm and a slight grin tugged at his lips, which meant Legolas had no doubt told him about the pregnancy. She wondered if Theo also knew. 

“How are you feeling?” Aragorn asked in elvish. “You’re sleeping a lot lately.”

“I’m fucking terrible, thanks for asking.” Maggie replied. “Hold that thought,  _ ion-nin _ .” 

Maggie reached for the bucked and puked again. It seemed like this was going to become a recurring theme during conversations. 

“How far along are you?” Aragorn asked, “It must be at least two months for the morning sickness to be this rough?” 

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Maggie agreed. “I take it ‘Las told you? Bloody blonde traitor.” 

“It is obvious to anyone with their eyes open. Except to Theo, who still remains oblivious.” 

Maggie couldn’t help but chuckle and she was relieved to not receive a lecture from Aragorn. They sat in silence for a while and Maggie wondered what he was thinking. As a young child, Aragorn was incredibly excited at the thought of becoming a brother and took his older-sibling responsibility very seriously. During Theo’s first few weeks, young Aragorn barely left Maggie’s side and she remembered a particularly cute moment when she walked in on him and Theo napping together on her bed. 

“You must tell the others,” Aragorn said “Especially Theo. I know you worry but he will be happy for you. As I am.” 

“I know someone who won’t be happy, though.” Maggie said “King Theoden will not like this.”   


“It is not the king’s business,  _ naneth _ .”

Maggie sighed. “Yeah, yeah I know.” 

Aragorn was right, it wasn’t Theoden’s business but she knew he wouldn’t like it. She also wondered how Felix and Nat would react to the news. She didn’t want people to treat her like a ticking time bomb again that needed constant protection but she didn’t like the idea of keeping it hidden from them because eventually, they would find out. 

“What else is bothering you,  _ naneth _ ?” Aragorn asked worriedly “I can tell something else is on your mind.” 

“I had another shared dream with Elrond.” Maggie explained “This time I was in Erebor, in fact I was standing in mine and Thorin’s old bedroom. There was a battle for Dale and Fili got really badly injured. Elrond and Oin have done what they can with their healing but the rest is up to him. I just keep thinking, what if he doesn’t make it through? What if another child of mind grows up without a father? I can’t lose Fili, Aragorn. I just…..I can’t go through that grief again I don’t think I could live through that sorrow for a second time…” 

The panic grabbed a tight hold of Maggie before she could stop it and her breath immediately became more shallow with every sharp stab of anxiety in her. Aragorn pulled her in for a hug and whispered soothing words in elvish. With every word, Maggie’s breathing slowed down and she buried her face in her son’s shoulders. For the first time since her arrival in Middle-Earth, Maggie prayed to Mahal to spare her husband’s life, no matter what it might cost her. 

* * *

Gimli could not believe he had lost a wager to a young and inexperienced human. Forty-five kills! It was nothing short of beginner’s luck. Despite his jealousy, the son of Gloin couldn’t help but feel proud of Felix and saw in him a good friend. Nat too had fought valiantly and even saved the life of Haldir, much to the elf’s surprise. With some luck and a bit more training if given a moment, they might just make it through this war alive. Theo had also done well, but that didn’t surprise Gimli. After all, the young prince had been trained by the best warriors that Erebor had to offer. The son of Thorin would make a fine king one day, should he choose to take that path. A part of Gimli wondered if perhaps Fili might choose to abdicate his place on the throne and offer it to Theo, so that he could focus on his life with Maggie and Elrond. 

For the past sixty years, Fili had done a grand job ruling Erebor and its people loved their king. However, there had always been an understanding of sorts, that Fili chose to take the crown so that one day Theo would rule the kingdom that was rightfully his. Even as a young dwarfling, it was a well-known fact that Fili never really wanted to be king. Although, with Maggie by Fili’s side as his queen, Gimli had a feeling that once all this was over, the kingdoms of Middle-Earth would see new unions and peace between the different races. 

Maggie still hadn’t announced her pregnancy to the others yet, but Gimli figured it would only be a matter of time before she did. Gimli for one, was excited about the prospect of a new member of the royal family. Fili had long been wanting to become a father and there was nothing dwarrows loved more than children. Though childbirth was rare for their kin, recently, things had begun to change. Other than Kili and Tauriel’s family, other dwarves in Erebor had also began to expand their families and the sound of young feet running through the corridors filled Erebor with life. 

There were certainly dangers that came with being pregnant during times like these, but Gimli knew that Maggie would be fine. Especially with everyone looking out for her. 

Following the battle of Helm’s Deep, the fellowship set out from the fortress and followed Gandalf to Saruman’s tower; Orthanc. The ents had done a good job of flooding Isengard, making the rest of Saruman’s army scatter and leaving the wizard alone and vulnerable. As they approached Isengard however, a very familiar sight met their eyes. 

"Welcome my lords, and of course my ladies, to Isengard!"

It was Merry who greeted them, while he held a drink in his hand. Gimli couldn’t believe his eyes. For weeks, he’d been worried sick about Riley and the hobbits. At one point, Gimli even began to wonder if they were still alive. 

"Riley! You sneaky little sod!” Felix cursed “We've been running cross country for days,  _ weeks _ looking for you lot. Fuck, we nearly  _ died  _ at it and here you are bloody smoking!"

"And  _ feasting _ !" Gimli added. Gandalf simply rolled his eyes and muttered 'hobbits!' under his breath but it was indeed a relief to see them alive and in one piece. It was such a joyful sight that nobody could really be annoyed with them. Felix, Nat and Maggie all dismounted the horses they'd been sat on and Riley waded through the water and greeted them all with a hug. Not only were they all a little drunk but undoubtedly somewhat stoned from Shire weed they must have found somewhere. 

“My dear sweet baby sister,” Riley said and kissed her cheek. “You haven’t gone and got yourself knocked up again, have you? That usually happens when I leave you alone for a while?” 

"Ladies and gentlemen I give you my brother; the charmer." Maggie sighed. “Actually though, while we’re on the subject of pregnancy.” 

A silence fell between the group. Riley’s eyes widened and Felix and Nat also turned around to her. Theo was the one who walked up to Maggie and grabbed her hands, with a hopeful expression in his eyes. 

“ _ Naneth _ , is this true?” he wondered “I’m to become a brother?” 

Gimli watched as Maggie simply nodded and in his excitement, Theo picked up his mother and spun her around. He reacted just like Gimli thought he would and as did King Theoden, whose eyes did not express the same joy as the rest of them shared. A brief moment of congratulations went around and Gimli could tell that Maggie was relieved that her news were finally out. 

"It's good to see you mate." Riley said to Felix

"Oh come here you." Felix said and hugged him just as much as he had Nat and Maggie. It was a happy reunion, Gimli knew. The four of them were together but it still wasn't the same without Laura. They all knew that but nobody really dared saying anything about it; all they could do was keep their hopes and keep fighting.

"I can honestly say I'm happy two see the two of you!" Nat said to Merry and Pippin

"Well my lovely Natalie; the feeling is very much mutual." said Pippin and bowed

"We're under orders from Treebeard! Who has taken over management of Isengard!" Merry told them proudly. The two hobbits and Riley all got on the horses and when they reached the tower of Orthanc they were met by Treebeard. Maggie looked up at the giant Ent and wasn't sure whether to be scared or impressed.

"Whoa…"

"Young Master Gandalf," Treebeard's voice boomed loudly "I'm glad you've come."

"Young?" Felix said "He thinks Gandalf is  _ young _ ?"

"Wood and water, stock and stone I can master. But there is a wizard to manage here." Treebeard continued

They all knew what that meant. "Saruman…" Nat whispered. Immediately, it made her think of his words in Rohan when he had taken over Théoden's body and threatened to hurt the baby.

"Be careful," Gandalf warned them "Even in defeat Saruman is dangerous."

"Don't worry Maggie," Aragorn said "He won't hurt either of you."

"Let's just have his head and be done with it!" Gimli said eagerly

In fact, Gimli would more than happily take one of Legolas’ arrows and release it himself. Even though his own weapon of choice was the axe, he was still a decent archer. 

"You know what, I agree with Gimli. Surely, it would be easy to kill him now that he's defenceless and locked up?" Nat said

"No!" Gandalf protested "We need him alive. We need him to talk!"

“Are you certain?” Boromir asked, who until then had remained quiet. “I feel a painful death would serve him well.”

It didn’t take long before Saruman eventually appeared out of his hiding place. It was strange really, because all this time Gimli thought Saruman was frightening but now, in his vulnerable state, it was more clear than ever that he was just another one of Sauron’s henchmen. 

"You have fought many wars and made peace afterwards Théoden King," said the once great wizard. It was obvious, Gimli thought, that he was scared. "Can we not take counsel together as we once did my old friend? Can we not have peace?"

"He's annoying me already." Riley said "Does he really think that's going to work?"

"We shall have peace when you have answered for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there!" Théoden's voice had grown dark and angry. "We shall have peace when the bodies' of the soldiers are avenged!"

Saruman wasn't happy about this answer and he made no attempt in hiding this. "What do you want, Gandalf Greyheim? Let me guess; the key of Orthanc?"

"Okay, now he's annoying me too." Maggie agreed.

Saruman's voice now turned into a sinister laughter and Gimli could tell that it sent chills down Maggie’s spine. Dwarves were naturally good at reading emotions, but while Nat and Felix were a bit more guarded, Maggie was always easy to read. "Tell me my dear, how is your child? How is your daughter? Have you picked out names for her yet or have you decided to give into her inevitable fate?" said the wizard

Maggie’s face turned pale as a sheet and Theo reached for his mother’s hand. It should have come to no surprise to them, that Saruman already knew of her pregnancy. After all, no matter how far he had fallen, he was one of the great Istari. Their powers were beyond much of what this world had seen 

"Your treachery has already cost many lives Saruman!" Gandalf told him "Many more are now at risk but you can save them! You are deep in the enemy's council!"

"So you've come here for information? Ah, I have some for you; you're all going to die."

Gandalf, clearly and obviously annoyed, rode forward but Saruman continued. "Tell me; what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom?"

"I've heard enough!" said Gimli "Legolas, shoot him!"

Legolas was about to do so but Gandalf stopped him but before anyone had a chance to say anything else, Saruman sent a fireball from his staff which surrounded Gandalf but the wizard was unharmed by it. Instead, he just stood there calmly as though nothing had happened.

"Saruman! Your staff is broken!" and just like the Saruman's staff snapped and blew up into thousands of small pieces leaving the wizard truly unarmed.

Felix leaned in to whisper to Riley. "This is more awesome than any 'epic rap battles of history' episode ever."

Gimli had no idea what a rap battle was but he would be sure to ask. 

"Grima!" Théoden called out when he saw Wormtongue sneaking up behind Saruman "You need not follow him! You can be the man you were before! You can—" But it was too late. Grima stabbed Saruman in the back and the wizard fell dead and lifeless into the water below and shortly after Wormtongue himself died from Legolas' arrow.

"We need to send word to all our allies; to every corner of Middle-Earth. The enemy is moving." Gandalf to Théoden and the king nodded in agreement.

"Pippin!" Maggie called out as the young hobbit had got off the horse and picked up the palantir Saruman had dropped into the water.

"Peregrin Took," said Gandalf "I'll take that my lad, quickly now."

Pippin hesitated for a moment and Riley could see that the curiosity still lingered in him, but the hobbit seemed to give into reason and handed the palantir back to Gandalf, but Gimli had a feeling that it would not be the last time that the young Peregrin Took would seek out trouble. 

**_To be continued….._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_There we are! Another chapter! A little shorter this time but we’re in RoTK territory now. I’m going to have more between-the-scenes chapters. Fili is injured! Will he survive? Maggie reveals her pregnancy? What did you think of their reactions? Also what about Gimli’s point of view? More of it? Less? Let me know in the comments please._ **


	13. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things begin to change again....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I do not own the songs used in this. The Green Dragon is featured in the Extended Edition by Peter Jackson and “The cat and the moon” is featured in the LOTR musical by A.R Rahman.” 
> 
> **A/N:** Quarantine and isolation is bringing out the creativity in me! Would you rather like longer chapters and more spaced out updates or do you prefer these medium-sized updates quite frequently? Also whose point of views should we see more of next? This chapter is mainly a fun break away from the battle and drama. I hope you’ll enjoy! 

**Twelve**

_ Intermission  _

Nat was relieved to be back at Edoras, but the intensity of battle still weighed heavy on her shoulders. She wasn’t used to the reality of having combat injuries and she certainly had no idea how she would go about and explain it to people back home. 

Home. 

That was the other thing that consumed most of Nat’s waking thoughts, because the strange thing was, she didn’t miss it as much as she thought she would. Perhaps it was because everything was so hectic and she rarely had time to stop and truly feel. Truthfully, Nat knew she was also afraid of allowing those feelings to take shape in her heart. It meant she had to admit that she found happiness in Middle-Earth she hadn’t felt in a long time. Not that she didn’t enjoy life back on Earth, she had a good family, friends and a job. In fact, for all intents and purposes, Naincredibly privileged in a way that many people were not. Was it selfish of her to want more from life than the mundane? What would happen if she gave into her own desires and allowed her heart to set course to what she really wanted? Would she then be able to really break down the fortress that surrounded her and let Theo in? 

If she did allow her emotions to steer the way, what future could she have in Middle-Earth? Would she live with Theo in Erebor? Sure, at least then she wouldn’t be alone because Maggie would be there too but was it the right choice? What about her friends and family back home? Maggie and Riley explained that time flowed different in Middle-Earth and certainly, they were proof of that but even that scared Nat.

A knock on the door brought her focus back to her bedchamber. 

“Hey, I just thought I’d check in and see how you’re doing.” Maggie said as she closed the door behind her. She had borrowed one of Eowyn’s gorgeous red dresses and Nat swore she could hint a tiny bit of baby bump. 

“I’d be doing lots better if I could have some help tying this thing.” Nat grumped in frustration

As much as she loved the fashion of Middle-Earth, they certainly didn’t make it easy for women to dress themselves. She missed being able to put on a pair of jeans and a shirt. That said, she was also very thankful they didn’t have to do any trekking in dresses. As for Maggie’s pregnancy, Nat was thrilled because it was clear to her that Maggie really wanted to experience motherhood again. She was also relieved that Theo had received the news so well and seemed excited about the idea of becoming a brother. 

“There we go,” Maggie said and Nat relaxed when Maggie rested her chin on Nat’s shoulder. In a world of men, it was rare they got any time alone together. “You look stunning. No wonder my son can’t take his eyes off you.” 

“You know?” Nat asked nervously “How long have you known?” 

Maggie raised an eyebrow “Come on Nat, you haven’t exactly been discreet.” she said “It’s obvious Theo is crazy about you. You like him too, I can tell because you’re pushing him away, like you always do when you get close to someone.” 

Maggie’s sharp words stung, but not because Nat was angry with her. It was because she knew they were true. Normally, she would probably get defensive and shoot back with something equally sharp with Maggie. That wasn’t who she was anymore though and she knew it was because Middle-Earth had changed her. 

“Listen Nat, I’m not going to tell you what to do.” Maggie said “Your choices are your own and whatever you decide, I’ll support you because I love you. But I also love my son and I don’t want either of you to get hurt.” 

“How do you know when it’s right?” Nat asked “What if we decide to give things a go and nothing works out? What do I do then? I’d be stuck alone in Middle-Earth.” 

A strange and heavy weight formed a tight knot around Nat’s chest. She wondered if this is what Maggie felt like when she sometimes got her panic and anxiety attacks. 

“You wouldn’t be alone, Nat.” Maggie assured her “No matter what happens, you wouldn’t be abandoned in Middle-Earth. You’re just as much family as everyone else. I know you’re scared, but you never know what’ll happen unless you try.” 

“Isn’t this weird for you?” Nat wondered “One of your friends being with your son who is almost twice as old as we both are. “   


“Oh no, it is 100% weird, but I am not the one to judge matters of the heart. Although, please spare me the intimate details on this one. There are some things a mother simply should not know too much of.” 

Nat couldn’t help but chuckle and embraced Maggie in a hug. In the hallways outside, the sound of laughter reached them. After the victory at Helm’s Deep, King Theoden had promised the people of Rohan a celebration for their bravery and sacrifice. However, both Nat and Maggie knew it would be the last time for a long while these halls would be filled with laughter. Having so much knowledge of the events to come, filled Nat with a type of melancholy feeling she’d never experienced before. Part of it was mixed with guilt for not being able to tell people and the other part was just fear. She promised herself though, that if it was indeed the last time they would be able to let their hair down and enjoy themselves, she would also do so. 

“Speaking of, what are we gonna do about Felix?” Maggie wondered 

“You mean about his two adoring fans?” Nat chuckled “Do you think he even realises?” 

It was true. Over the past few weeks, while they were hunting the orcs that took Riley, Merry and Pippin, Nat noticed a growing friendship between Legolas and Felix. It was cute really, Legolas was pretty protective of Felix and almost took him under his wings. At first, that’s all Nat thought it was. A sort of brotherly friendship. Then, she began to notice subtle lingering glances from Legolas, usually when Felix wasn’t paying attention. Sometimes, the blonde elf-prince even tugged a smile and laughed at Felix’s bad jokes (of which there were far too many). In the short time that Eomer had been back in Rohan, Nat noticed similar glances from him. It was cute really and Felix of course remained unknowing. It wasn’t surprising to her, that Felix received attention, he was an attractive man. Once upon a time, he and Maggie had been together but in the end, they decided they were better off as friends. 

“No, but I’ve got to tell you, I know ‘Las and the last time I saw him  _ this  _ jealous was when Tauriel fell for Kili.” Maggie said “For somebody who used to have such disdain for dwarves, he certainly gets just as possessive as they do.” 

“Maybe we should talk to him?” Nat suggested “I mean, let’s be honest, Felix has always been a little oblivious.” 

“I don’t know, I’m not sure we should meddle. Besides, it’s kind of funny watching this all play out. I almost want to place bets on how long until he realises.”

“You have been spending far too much time around dwarves. Come on, I don’t want to miss the party.” 

Nat had no idea what a night it would be. 

* * *

It was indeed a night to remember. The atmosphere was merry and people were in good spirits. Somehow, Riley found himself clapping along to the chaos of Merry and Pippin singing and dancing on the table. Even after all they’d been through, nothing seemed to be able to dampen the spirits of the two young hobbits. Riley did suspect they’d all have a fairly sizable hangover the following morning, but it would be worth it. He was just happy to be reunited with his sister and the others, even if Laura, Frodo and Sam were still off grid. As for his sister, Riley couldn’t believe Maggie was pregnant again. It was almost like a recurring sitcom gag with an awkward laughter track in the background. Of course, he was happy for Maggie, because he knew how both her and Fili wanted to become parents. For Maggie, it was especially important because she’d lost so much time with Theo and had the gift of motherhood taken away from her. Now that she was reunited with Theo, they could begin to form a relationship again, but Theo was a grown man and didn’t really need a mother as such.

Riley couldn’t help but wonder what life would look like for all of them after the war, if by chance they won. Maggie was queen now and would return to Erebor with Fili, which made sense. He wondered how they would work things out with Elrond, whose life was in Rivendell. There was no doubt in Riley’s mind the three of them would figure out the logistics between themselves as they always did, but it was certainly a unique situation. 

Speaking of unique situations, Riley’s own place in Middle-Earth was different now that Bilbo was so old. He often wondered what kind of life they would have after everything was over. Would they be able to live back in Bag End with Frodo or would Bilbo be offered a place on the ships to the Grey Havens? Hell, at this point, Riley wasn’t even sure if they elves were still leaving Middle-Earth. Elrond certainly wasn’t and that probably meant his people would not leave either. Their presence in Middle-Earth had changed so much of what they knew, which made things uncertain. 

The thought of his husband made Riley’s heart ache. Just like his sister, he’d lost so much time with his love, but he was glad Bilbo was safe and sound in the tranquility of Imladris. He owed Elrond a great deal of gratitude for looking after his Master Burglar. 

The cheerful sound of the hobbits’ song brought Riley back to the presence, and he decided to shake off all his fears and worries, at least for one night. 

“Are hobbits always this loud?” Boromir wondered as he passed Riley another jug of ale. 

Even the Captain of Gondor was much more relaxed than he’d been before. He shared in conversations with King Theoden and Aragorn. Hell, Riley had even seen Boromir laugh a couple of times before being under the influence of alcohol. 

“You have no idea, my friend.” Riley replied. “How are you holding up? I mean, I imagine you’re worried about Laura?” 

Boromir fell silent for a while and then nodded. “Aye, not a moment goes by when my mind is not filled with thoughts of her.” he said 

The look in Boromir’s eyes told Riley all he needed to know about his feelings for Laura. 

“Laura is strong.” Riley said “If anyone can handle the journey to Mordor, she’s the one. Frodo and Sam are lucky to have her with them.” 

“When she comes back, I will ask her to marry me.”

Riley wasn’t even surprised, instead, his heart was filled with joy. 

“She’ll say yes.” he said “Of that I have no doubt.” 

Boromir was about to open his mouth again, but they were both distracted by Merry and Pippin’s stomping on the table. 

_ "Oh you can search far and wide you can drink the whole town dry but you'll never find a beer so brown as the one we drink in our hometown. You can drink your fancy ale, you can drink 'em by the flagon but the only brew for the brave true. But the only brew for the brave and true; comes from the Green Dragon!" _

"You know, we can do that." Felix told Riley "You remember 'the cat and the moon'?"

Riley turned to his friend and raised an eyebrow. Felix, unmistakably intoxicated, had a wide grin and the oldest Spencer could never say no to a chance at competition. Besides, Riley also knew that in reality, Felix wanted to impress his most recent admirer. Riley wondered if his friend even realised that he’d grabbed the attention of both Eomer and Legolas. 

Pippin, who had heard them speaking, stood with his arms crossed and with a smile on his face. "Are you telling me, Master Felix, that you can sing and better than a hobbit of the Shire?"

"Absolutely!" Felix countered 

"Really?" Merry joined in "Then by all means do show."

"It's a deal."

* * *

"So," Legolas was looking at the jugs in front of him and at Gimli "It's a drinking game?"

"Aye!" Gimli already had his beard dripped in ale "Last one standing wins!"

"Oh dear…" Maggie said. She turned to Aragorn who rolled his eyes "This should be good."

"I recall a certain drinking game we had in Imladris with you and Riley." Legolas said with a smile.

Sometimes, Maggie thought, she hated the long memory that came with longevity. She didn’t mind the teasing though and it was good to see Legolas in equally as good spirits as everyone else. It was very rare that the Prince of Mirkwood let his hair and guard down. 

"You're never going to let me forget that night, are you?" Maggie wondered 

"Not a chance  _ aier _ ," Legolas told her with a smirk.

Many jugs of ale later, Gimli was hardly capable of standing and Legolas acted as if he had hardly had anything to drink at all. It was very obvious which of them was going to wake up with a massive hangover in the morning. Some part of Maggie was glad that she couldn't drink.

"I feel something…a slight tingle in my fingers," said Legolas "I think it's affecting me!"

"Wow, you're really lightweight aren't you  _ mellonin _ ?" Maggie said sarcastically

"What did I say?" Gimli stood up "He can't hold his liquor!" But obviously the dwarf had spoken too soon because seconds later he'd passed out flat on the floor.

"Maggie." Aragorn put a hand on Maggie's shoulder and then gestured towards Riley and Felix who were now standing on the table singing instead of Merry and Pippin.

Maggie giggled and shook her head, not even knowing what to say.

_ "Called by the fiddle to the middle of the muddle where the cow with a caper sent the small dog squealing. Moon in a fuddle went to huddle by the griddle but he slipped in a puddle and the world went reeling!"  _ People were clapping along and by now Merry and Pippin had decided to also join in after all and it was turning into quite the party.  _ "Downsides went up! Hey! Outside went wide as the fiddle played a twiddle and the moon slept till Sterrenday! Upsides went west – hey! Broadsides went boom! With a twiddle on the fiddle in the middle by the griddle and the moon slept till Sterrenday!"  _ Everyone applauded and Maggie saw Eowyn across the room laughing, obviously also enjoying herself

With the loud noise and partying, Maggie decided she needed a breath of air as the heat became a bit much. Outside, the cool breeze of early spring touched her skin and Maggie exhaled a tired sigh as she stared out over the vast openness of Rohan. 

"What's on your mind dear one?" It was Gandalf who'd walked up to Maggie. 

"I'm worried about Laura.” Maggie admitted “I can't help but to feel a little guilty, because if we hadn't been to Middle-Earth before then she wouldn't be out there, with Frodo and Sam." she replied

"This was always meant to be your fate." the wizard told her "Even your first coming to Middle-Earth all those years ago. Being here is your destiny as much as it is Laura's to be with Frodo and Sam. They will be alright."

"Yeah. I hope so."

A brief silence fell between them before Gandalf spoke again. 

"Now, tell me about really worrying you?" the wizard asked. 

Many things worried Maggie. She worried about Fili and if he would survive the injuries, even with Elrond’s healing. She worried about the fate of her unborn child and if maybe trying for a baby with Fili had been a mistake after all. 

"I am afraid that Saruman is right about the baby.” Maggie whispered. “Even you must know there is a chance that she will not survive this."

"Saruman uses fear as a weapon to control others, but you are much stronger than he is.” Gandalf said “Besides, your daughter is a child of Fili and of Elrond, is she not? If anything, that should tell us she'll live through this. As will you."

Maggie hoped Gandalf was right but she decided to try and not let it trouble her. "Now, we'd better go inside, I have a feeling the night is going to get a little more interesting." said Gandalf with a glint in his eyes.

He had no idea.

* * *

It was in the early hours of morning when the party finally died out and everyone had gone to sleep (or in some cases, no names mentioned, passed out). Nat had left Theo asleep and sneaked out because she hadn't wanted to accidentally wake him. After Maggie’s words of comfort, Nat decided to finally let her heart make the decisions for her, and as a result, her night had been amazing. Despite Maggie’s previous words, Nat was sure Maggie was going to want to hear all about it. After all the noise of the celebrations, it was strange to see Meduseld so quiet and it didn't seem like anyone was awake just yet. When Nat tip-toed into the sleeping hall, she was greeted by Gimli's loud snoring and couldn't help but to smile to herself.

Through the shadows though, Nat jumped when she suddenly saw Pippin sitting straight up and getting out of bed. "Pippin!" she whispered, but the hobbit didn’t hear her.

It had woken Merry up because he looked at Nat and then at Pippin who was walking quietly across the room, with an almost scared look in his eyes. "What are you doing?" Merry asked but they got no reply.

Merry and Nat watched, not really knowing what to do. Pippin walked up to Gandalf and found to his surprise that the wizard was sleeping with his eyes wide open. It made him hesitate for a moment but then, carefully, the young hobbit managed to take the palantir which was under Gandalf's arm.

"Pippin! Are you mad?!" Merry asked

"Put it back, if Gandalf finds out…" Nat added. This was not going to go down well but Pippin didn't seem to be bothered.

"I just want to look at it." he told them. Pippin took the palantir out of the cloth and seemed almost hypnotised by it while both Nat and Merry were terrified. Then suddenly something happened; Pippin's hands seemed glued to the palantir and it started glowing whilst the hobbit closed his eyes and desperately tried to let go of it.

"Gandalf! Gandalf wake up!" Nat shouted with panic in her voice "Pippin's in trouble!"

And suddenly, to her horror, Nat found the palantir stuck to her own hands because she had tried taking it off Pippin. She could hear Sauron's voice speaking to her and she saw images in her mind of a white tree burning but she also saw something different; something that rooted a fear in her that she would never be able to forget. Then; just like that, she snapped out of it because Aragorn had taken the palantir off her but it rolled out of his hands when Gandalf finally caught it.

"Nat!" Riley called out. The commotion had woken everybody up. "Jesus Christ are you alright?"

"Yeah….I'm fine. But…Pippin!" she said

Pippin was laid on the floor, seemingly unconscious and the wizard walked up to him, mumbled a few words which then made Pippin wake up again.

"….Gandalf." he wept "Forgive me…"

"Look at me." Gandalf demanded coldly. By now, Legolas, Gimli and Felix had gathered around them. "What did you see?"

"A tree…there was a white tree."

"In a courtyard of stone." Nat said. It was exactly what she had seen too. She could feel all eyes on her and suddenly felt very nervous because she didn't know what was going to happen next.

"It was dead. The city was burning." Pippin whispered, his voice still shaking

"Minas Tirith. Is that what you saw too?" Gandalf asked. Nat just nodded in reply and didn't dare saying anything else.

"What else did you see?"

"I saw…him. I could hear his voice in my head." said the hobbit

"And what did you tell him? SPEAK!"

"He asked me my name but I didn't answer."

"And what did you tell him of Frodo and the Ring?"

* * *

"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes. A fool, but an honest fool he remains." They were all gathered with King Théoden, explaining the events of earlier that morning.

"He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. We've been strangely fortunate; Pippin saw in the palantir a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron aims to strike towards Minas Tirith. However it is also most  _ un _ fortunate that Natalie should have been dragged into it as well."

"What does it mean? What do we do now?" Nat asked.

"Sauron's defeat at Helm's Deep showed one thing; the heir of Elendil has come forth and that men are not as weak as he supposed." Gandalf was looking at Aragorn as he said this. "There is courage still; strength even enough perhaps to challenge him."

"And  _ hope _ ." Maggie said and she meant it in both the figurative and literal meaning as she looked at Aragorn who stood next to her. "We have hope."

"Yes Maggie; we have hope." Gandalf agreed "And Sauron fears this; he will not have the people of Middle-Earth unite under one banner. He will raise Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees the king return."

"But that won't stop us will it?" said Felix, he had been quiet for some time trying to figure it all out. "We've proven to him that we're a hell of a lot stronger than he is and that we're not going to give up. I mean hell, we had Elves come to join us in Helm's Deep and that hasn't happened for thousands of years? Surely Sauron must realise that he doesn't stand a chance. Not if we stand together."

"Very poetic bro." Riley said but he knew that Felix had a point. "The question still stands, what do we about at this point in time?" he asked

"If the beacons of Gondor are lit," said Gandalf "Rohan must be ready for war."

Gandalf turned to Théoden, waiting for the king to say something but what he said wasn't exactly what they had hoped for.

"Tell me, “ Theoden said “why should we come to the aid of those who did not come to ours?"

Maggie couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all they had been through, after the battles and "Are you fucking kidding me right now?  _ That's _ your answer? Is  _ that  _ what you're going to tell your people when Sauron eventually comes here? Because, believe me he  _ will _ ."

"You have not been in this land long enough to know the things of which I speak. What do we owe Gondor?" Théoden replied

Maggie was about to respond with something but Aragorn shook his head, as to warn her to be quiet.

"I will go." Aragorn said "They must be warned!"

"They will be. Understand this; things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith. " the wizard replied and as he said this Gandalf looked at both Natalie and Pippin "But I will not be going alone."

And in that moment they both suddenly realised what was ahead of them.

* * *

"I can't believe we're splitting up again." Maggie said. She was outside with Felix and Riley walking towards the stables to say goodbye to Nat and Pippin. They had only been together a little while and now they were going separate ways again and the gods only knew what would happen. In the distance, the three friends saw Nat saying goodbye to Theo before she walked up to them.

"Are you alright?" Maggie asked

Nat nodded as she dried away the tears that were running down her cheek. "Yeah, I'll see him again. Soon. I'm sure of it. And you guys too." she said. They all hugged and even though they knew they would see each other again, it was pointless to hide the fear of what would happen if they didn't.

"Nat; I'm sorry." Pippin whispered as they were getting ready to mount the horses. Pippin was riding on Shadowfax with Gandalf and Nat was riding on a brown mare.

"It's alright Pippin, I'm not angry with you." She told him and it was the truth. "It's not your fault."

"But it  _ is _ my fault Nat. I was stupid and you tried to save me and I've put you in danger too. Now you have to leave your friends."

"Pippin,  _ you're _ my friend too remember? We'll be alright in this. Besides, we have Gandalf."

The wizard helped Pippin up on Shadowfax.

"How far is Minas Tirith?" he asked

"Three days ride as the Nazgul flies; and we better hope we don't have one of those on our tail." Gandalf replied as he mounted Shadowfax

They were all stood in the stables and there was a strange feeling about it all; Nat couldn't explain it but it felt a bit like everything was going to change again.

"Here," Merry handed Pippin a leather package and when Pippin unfolded it he could see it was the last of the Longbottom leaf. "I know you've run out. You smoke too much Pip."

"We'll see each other soon won't we?" Pippin said. Merry didn't reply; instead he looked at Gandalf and the wizard said nothing either.

"Won't we?" Pippin repeated

"I don't know…" Merry replied "I don't know what's going to happen."

"Oh god I'm crying now." Maggie said and Felix pulled her in for a hug. Seeing the hobbits being split up after everything they had been through and knowing how close they were was painful to watch because they could all see the sadness in their eyes.

"Merry…"

"Run Shadowfax." Gandalf told the horse "Show us the meaning of haste."

"Bye…" Nat whispered

"Merry!" They rode off all three of them and Maggie, Riley and Felix knew that everything was different.

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_There we are! Another chapter done and a little bit of a cliffhanger with this one! What would you like to see happen next? Whose point of view? I don’t want to make things too melodramatic but I’m planning a few twists and turns. Also, currently taking naming suggestions for Maggie’s daughter. I have some ideas, one of them is the Welsh name Eira which means Mercy. Anyway, leave Kudos and a comments please!_ **


	14. Premonitions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maggie has nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Here we are, another upload, a day after my birthday nonetheless. I hope you guys are all doing well during this pandemic! I sometimes feel like it’s silly to keep uploading these chapters when there are many other things going on in the world, but I hope they bring a smile to your faces. This chapter is mainly from Maggie, Laura and Aragorn’s point of views. This is also a chapter with a lot of dialogue because there’s a lot of different things happening. I hope you guys are still enjoying the fic, if you are, please hit kudos, leave a comment or bookmark it! Anyway, on with the show! 

**Fourteen**

_ Premonitions  _

Laura had lost count of how long they had been walking since they left Osgiliath. In fact, time in general suddenly seemed entirely irrelevant and she was barely sure of what day it was anymore. She wondered how Maggie and the others were doing in and where they were on their journey. Were still together or had they also parted ways? Regardless, Laura the further towards Mordor they wandered, the more Laura missed her friends and wanted nothing more than to hug them again. She wanted to laugh with them, share each other’s stories and be just like before. Hell, Laura didn’t even know what normalcy was anymore. 

All she knew for certain was that she missed them and she missed Boromir. Many were the times when images of his warm smile filled Laura’s mind and she couldn’t help but wonder if he also missed her? Even though she knew in her heart that he was still alive, a bit of doubt and fear still lingered inside her. She hated the uncertainty that came with not knowing and during long days of walking, it became more difficult to keep her mind from spiralling into all sorts of awful what-if scenarios. 

None of it was helpful and a lot of it due to exhaustion. Trekking was tiresome and being led into Mordor by Gollum was not what Laura had planned. Just like Sam, she didn’t trust the creature and knew he was up to no good. Until they could prove it however, Frodo wouldn’t have any ill-treatment of him and it certainly caused a bit of a strain between Frodo and Sam. Laura didn’t like taking sides in arguments but in this case, she agreed with Sam. Frodo was just too tired and blinded by the power of the ring to see what was really going on. As much as he tried to hide it, Frodo was a change hobbit and even though he was her friend and Laura trusted him, she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t a little bit afraid of him. 

Another thing that surprised Laura, was how shifting the weather was in Middle-Earth. One moment, they would be walking in windy conditions and be freezing cold all day. Then, the next moment the sun would be blazing and she didn’t know what to do with herself with the unbearable heat. Today was one of those days, even though it was March and it shouldn’t be that hot yet. After an early start and hours of trekking across endless moorland terrain, she finally heard her stomach growling in angry protest at the lack of substance and realised Sam and Frodo must've heard it too.

"It must be getting close to tea time." Sam said, he also sounded tired "Or at least it would be if we were in decent places."

"I would kill for a KFC meal." Laura said, mostly to herself.

"But we are not in decent places hobbitsess…" Gollum hissed as if he was very pleased about it. He was leading them through bushes and Laura hoped with all her heart that he knew where they were going. The path narrowed and they seemed to be entering a different kind of terrain when Frodo suddenly stopped.

"Mr Frodo, what is it?" Sam asked

Frodo was quiet for a while. "It's just a feeling." he said "I don't think I'll be coming back."

"Yes you will!" Sam said as he walked up to the ringbearer "Of course you will! That's just morbid thinking. We're going there and back again; just like Mr Bilbo."

_ Oh Sam,  _ Laura thought. She never understood how in spite of everything, he was always able to keep his spirits up no matter what. They kept walking and soon came by gigantic stone statues of men which made Laura stare in awe. Very few structures on Earth were made with such grandeur as these one and it was clear they had been created with a great deal of respect and affection for the people they depicted. 

"I think these lands were once part of the kingdom of Gondor." Frodo told them.

"Mr Frodo, Laura. Look!" They turned around to Sam and saw that the sun had shone through which made it look like the king was wearing a crown of flowers.

It sparked a brief glimmer of hope within Laura. 

"Come on hobbits! Mustn't stop now! This way!" Gollum told them

"Laura, I don't mean to pry. I'm just a little curious, but you have a family right?” Sam wondered “I mean, obviously you have a family I just mean, do you have any brothers or sisters?

Laura could see him blushing too which made her chuckle a little.  _ Family,  _ she thought. They'd never talked about it before; in fact she hadn't even asked Frodo and Sam if they had family back in the Shire. Sam talked so much about the Shire and Hobbiton that Laura was really curious to see it someday, if they ever made it to Mordor and back alive. She shuddered and couldn't believe she hadn't actually thought that to be a possibility.

"It's alright Sam, I do have a family," she replied softly "I have two older brothers; Sam and Martin and then they have their wives with kids." Thinking about her brothers and their children for the first time in ages made Laura feel a bit emotional, but it also reminded her that her youngest niece, Isabella, would be turning five soon.

"You're an auntie then?" Frodo said, an excitement rang in his voice that neither Laura nor Sam had heard in a very long time. "That's amazing!" said the hobbit

"What about you Sam?” Laura asked “Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No, it's just me and my Old Gaffer living in Bagshot Row." Sam replied "I've always wanted siblings though; I like the idea of being an older brother."

"How about being a father when you and Rosie get married?" Frodo said and Sam turned around to his friend for a moment and didn't say anything.

"You think Rosie would like to marry me someday Mr. Frodo?" 

Hearing the way Sam spoke about Rosie Cotton brought such joy to Laura and it was clear that Sam was absolutely smitten with her. 

"Of course she will!” Frodo assured him “You just need to pluck up the courage to ask her."

Frodo and Laura giggled when they heard Sam mumbling to himself with a smile on his face.

"Rosie Gamgee. Well if I ever…." Sam's voice suddenly died out when they reached something that looked like a massive fortress in front of them. There was a darkness about it that they could all feel.

"The Dead City," Gollum whispered, even his voice was filled with strange terror, which made Laura realised that he also had emotions, though it was sometimes hard to detect. "Very nasty place. Full of….enemies. Quick! We must go or they'll see." Without a word they quickly ran across the road and to the foot of the mountain. Laura couldn't help but to stare at the massive gates of the city and she really didn't want to think about whom it was that lived there.

"Come away! Look we have found it! The way into Mordor! The secret steps!" Laura, Frodo and Sam all stared at the very, very steep set of stairs leading all the way up the mountain and seemed to never end.

"You have got to be kidding me." Laura said "There has to be another way into Mordor, that's suicide!"

However, what followed in the next few seconds made Laura change her mind and all of them immediately started climbing.

* * *

In the nights that followed Nat, Pippin and Gandalf’s departure from Edoras, Maggie struggled to sleep peacefully and her dreams turned into nightmares. She was haunted by all too familiar and vivid dreamscapes, just like all those years ago when she had nightmares of the Necromancer in Rivendell..

... . _ Maggie found herself standing on mountainous terrain, where Frodo, Laura and Sam looked out over the Black Gate of Mordor. The Eye of Sauron kept a steady watch over his reign of terror at Barad-Dur and then, to Maggie’s horror, locked eyes with her. She stood frozen in her position and was utterly unable to move. A sharp pain came from her stomach and she was forced down on her knees as Sauron’s distorted voice taunted her _ . 

_ “You think the magic of Elrond and Gandalf can save you and your child?” the eye hissed and Maggie had to cover her ears.  _

_ “You escaped me once but I am stronger now than I was then. Long ago your family took something from me, so this time I will take something from you. No dwarf king, wizard or elf lord can help you.”  _

_ Maggie saw more visions of Frodo, Laura and Sam crossing the road to Mordor. She saw Pippin and Natalie in Minas Tirith and there was a battle with many dead. She saw her friends fighting for her life and the Black of Gates of Mordor opening. _

_ And then worst of all, she saw her brother’s, lifeless, dead on the ground. _

_ Sauron’s voice was inescapable.  _

_ “I will have what is mine, Queen Margaret, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Tell me, can you really live with the death of a loved one on your hands?”  _

* * *

…...Maggie's scream tore right through Aragorn like a great shard of glass. He felt his eyes widen and pulse quicken as his heart thudded like a rock rattling in a box. The scream came again more desperate and terrified. All blood drained from the ranger’s face and before he was even aware of making a conscious decision, his legs were pounding furiously on the wooden floors of Edoras. Fast. By the time he reached Maggie’s bedchamber, soon followed by Riley and Theo, Legolas was already there.

"Maggie, wake up  _ aier _ .” Legolas soothed her “It was only a dream." Legolas whispered gentle words in Elvish to calm her down and eventually Maggie opened her eyes. 

"Riley…where's Riley?" Maggie asked 

"Easy darling," Riley told as he sat down on the bedside. His eyes were filled with worry for his sister. "I'm right here."

Maggie put her arms around her brother and clung to him. "Thank God you're alive!"

Aragorn exchanged concerned glances with Legolas and Theo. The ranger knew they all wondered what kind of dream could stir such terror within Maggie. A distance memory awoke in the back of Aragorn’s mind. A long time ago, when the Company of Thorin Oakenshield stayed in Rivendell, Maggie had also suffered terrifying nightmares. In fact, they left Maggie standing on the balcony ledge in the middle of the night. No doubt she would have fallen to her death that night, had Thorin not saved her life. He’d only been a young boy then, but the events were still clear in Aragorn’s mind. Even though he didn’t know Maggie too well at that point in time, he still felt scared for her and wanted nothing more than for her to be alright again. 

"Maggie," Aragorn asked "What did you dream?"

* * *

Some time later, when Maggie was more with it and the remnants of the nightmares faded. Aragorn and the others asked her about them but she refused to tell them everything. Aragorn wondered if it was partly due to the fact that she didn't want them all to worry more than they already did. To Aragorn, it was also obvious that Maggie’s dreams were about Sauron, who wanted to put fear inside her. He wondered if his mother believed that if she allowed herself to believe in the threat of Sauron’s words, he would have a power over her she did not want to give him. Instead, she'd told them bits and pieces. She told them about her vision Quickly afterwards, Théoden asked Aragorn and the others (Maggie was ordered to rest) for a council because this was worrying.

"The gift of foresight is strong within the House of Elros. Both Maggie and Riley are direct descendants of that bloodline and it is a known fact that some numenoreans also share that gift." Aragorn said after having explained the incident "It could well be possible that the baby has also inherited this gift."

"That would explain the dreams." Riley said, he sank into a chair and ran his hands through his hair.

"Frightening as it may be for her; they are still mere dreams." Theoden said. "Until such time that they come true there is nothing we can do about it and we will go on. We ride for Dunharrow as according to plan." said Théoden

Following that last announcement, Theoden simply left the others in the hall and walked out. To say that Aragorn was frustrated, was a sore understatement. He did not doubt Theoden’s leadership skills or his intentions as a king, because he cared deeply about his people. However, it became increasingly obvious to the ranger that the king of Rohan sometimes lacked better judgement. If Gandalf was still there, he would no doubt tell Theoden a thing or two about what he thought. However, Aragorn knew they couldn’t afford an argument with him, because they needed Rohan as an ally or else they were alone. Maggie’s dreams deeply bothered him and if they were visions of worse things to come, then they all ought to take heed of them. 

What worried him even more was the idea that Sauron held such power that he could penetrate her mind and torment her through dreams once again. Aragorn knew his mother was a strong woman of both mind and body, but with a baby on the way she was also extremely vulnerable. In his heart, he knew that this was no place for her. Perhaps, they could get word to Lord Elrond, who was still probably in Erebor looking after Fili. Even if Lord Elrond could get to Edoras, they would be on their way to Dunharrow by then and on the open road they were in even greater danger. No matter how he looked at it, Maggie was not safe. 

“I know he is doing what is best for his people,” Riley said, “But sometimes, I really want to smack him. I know you guys have opinions that you’re not sharing, so spit them out. We’re all family here.” 

“Maggie should not be here.” Aragorn said as he leaned back in the chair. “If Sauron can reach her through her dreams, then her safety is compromised.” 

“Then where should she go?” Theo wondered “To Erebor? If she travels to Erebor, even if one of us goes with her, she will still be vulnerable. Nat has already gone to Minas Tirith with Pippin, if one of us leaves with naneth, we lose strength and still jeopardize her and the baby’s life.” 

Aragorn heard the sharpness in Theo’s voice and felt a spark of annoyance ignite inside him. His brother had his heart in the right place, but sometimes he did not always see the bigger picture. It was understandable that Theo didn’t want his mother to get hurt, but Sauron was playing games with her and a pregnant woman should not be near battle by any means, no matter how strong she was.

“If she stays here, what then?” Aragorn countered, “What place does she have in a battle she cannot possibly partake in? What if her and the baby  _ die  _ as a result of staying here? How can we live with the knowledge that we allowed that to happen!?” 

“ _ Naneth _ is strong, Aragorn!” Theo snapped “She has lived through one war, while she was pregnant with me. The valar would not send her back to use if they just meant for her to die!” 

“And in that war, she lost  _ your  _ father and nearly her own life as well! There is no knowing what will happen and if you believe in the Valar’s word, then we must look to the prophecy which says that one of us will die! Are you really willing to allow the risk that it could be her! Are you willing to let our mother die!” 

Aragorn’s rage took control and found himself standing up, face to face with Theo. Like most siblings, they had their disagreements and over the years they’d had a few big arguments. Sometimes the anger lasted for days and at its worst, weeks. One thing the two brothers had always been good at, was talking about things. Eventually, one of them would seek out the other and they would make mends. Aragorn knew this was an argument the moment Theo’s opinion opposed his own. Sometimes, the dwarrow part of him took over, as it was the part fuelled by pure and raw emotions that knew no bounds for expressing them. 

Then, something happened which Aragorn did not foresee.

“Do not forget, Aragorn, that she is  _ my  _ mother!” Theo hissed “ _ You’ve _ already had one, whose love you remembered before Maggie adopted you. Some of us have not been that lucky. If  _ your  _ choices mean that  _ I  _ lose her again, I will  _ never  _ forgive you and you will no longer be my brother.” 

With those final words, Theo too left the great hall, leaving Aragorn, Riley, Gimli and Legolas in an awkward silence, before Riley broke it. 

“Amazing, that went swimmingly well. Nicely done, Estel.” Riley sassed, but by using his childhood name, Aragorn knew that his uncle was less than impressed with how things had gone. 

“Riley--” Aragorn started but Riley cut him off 

“No. Please don’t say anything else, you’ve opened your mouth enough.” Riley said “Now, I am going to speak with my nephew, preferably before he brings down the whole goddamn hill in rage. Then, when I’ve done that, you and I are going to have a very long conversation. Understood?” 

“Of course, Uncle.” 

And that was the final word before Riley also walked out of the room and Aragorn was left with a heavy heart and guilt for how things had transpired. 

* * *

Gandalf was right; the ride to Minas Tirith took four days. Four extremely long days, in fact. Out of all the places in Middle-Earth, other than Rivendell, it was Minas-Tirith that impressed Nat the most. For one thing, it was far more enormous than she had originally imagined. The whole city covered an entire hill. An enormous mountain also towered behind the city and Gandalf explained to her and Pippin that the city was built on several levels. The top level was where the Steward and his house resided. When Gandalf spoke about the Steward of Gondor, it was obvious to Nat that the wizard didn’t hold him in particularly high regard. No surprise there either, after what she remembered about him. By the time they eventually reached Minas Tirith, they were greeted by amazement and wonder by the citizens. 

Some of them had never seen a wizard before, while others knew exactly who Gandalf was and they couldn’t believe that he’d returned to them. While they dismounted their horses, Gandalf explained to them that Denethor was a man who more often than not was ill-tempered and rarely listened to others and especially not when they told him what he ought to do. Throughout most of the journey, Pippin remained uncharacteristically quiet and Nat wondered if he was worried that Gandalf was still angry with him for looking into the Palantir. Nat didn’t think the wizard was angry with the Took, but more than anything, Gandalf was worried for Pippin’s sake because it was his job to look after the hobbits. ‘

“Natalie…..”

Nat was halfway up the steps which led to the top level of Minas Tirith, when she stopped. She knew the voice all too well and her heart skipped a couple of beats. She turned around and saw the familiar face of Maggie and Riley’s father standing at the bottom of the steps. Nat ran down the stone steps and Amandil held out his arms to greet her in a warm hug, one that she hadn’t had in a long time. Maggie and Riley’s father was like an uncle to her and he had always been a part of her life. Despite the strangeness, it was comforting to have another familiar face from back home, The last time Nat saw Amandil(or Alan as she knew him), he was a history professor who usually wore clothes that belonged in the 1950s. Here, he dressed elegantly in a robe with a long blue satin cloak cascading down his shoulder.

“It’s so good to see someone from home.” Nat said 

“It’s good see you to Nat, although I can hardly believe it myself.” Amandil replied 

“Ah, My Lord Amandil.” Gandalf said from behind them

The wizard greeted Amandil with a respectful bow and Natalie while Maggie and Riley had told her about their father’s past, it was still a lot to comprehend. He was one of the last few actual Numenoreans alive, and the grandfather of Isildur. The fact that Elendil was actually Riley and Maggie’s older brother was another strange part of the tale but they rarely spoke of it. Nat’s eyes fell on Pippin who simply stared at Amandil, part in awe and part in fear. 

“Mithrandir, our paths cross again after all this time. It is good to see you, my friend.” Amandil greeted “How are my children? I had word from Lord Elrond that Margaret and Riley arrived, along with Nat, Felix and Laura?” 

“You’re Riley and Maggie’s father?” Pippin realised “I didn’t know you were a knight.” 

Amandil chuckled and a warm smile crept over his face. “Perhaps once, Peregrin Took, I was what you might call a knight. Now however, I am a simple man.”   
  
“You know my name?” Pippin’s eyes widened and Nat swore she could see stars glittering in his eyes. 

“Your children are fine, My Lord.” Gandalf said “Riley and Maggie are both in Edoras, with Theo, Aragorn and the others.” 

“Although, about Maggie.” Nat said “There’s something you should know.” 

“I know that she is pregnant.” Amandil told her “Lord Elrond came to me in a vision and told me about Fili’s injury. We had time to exchange news of the land.” 

Magic, Nat thought, was something she would never get used. Amandil asked Nat to walk with him to tell him about their journey so far, while Gandalf and Pippin paid a visit to Lord Denethor. As they walked through the great city, which was full of people carrying about their day, even though you could see Mordor on the horizon. Amandil asked how she as well as Laura and Felix were coping with being in Middle-Earth. Over the past few weeks, Nat hadn’t taken much time to really think about everything that happened to him. Things moved so quickly and personal reflection over being in a previously fictional land wasn’t a priority. Now that Nat was more settled (if you could call it that) and her mind more focused on the quest ahead, she had some time to assess her own thoughts. 

Overall, she was impressed by her ability to adapt so well to something so strange. In a strange way, she felt like she was more herself in Middle-Earth than she was at home. So, Nat spoke openly with Amandil and told her about Theo as well as how Theo and Maggie were getting along. He seemed both pleased and relieved that his daughter and grandson were able to get to know each other again, because things could very easily have taken a different turn. Nat also told him about Riley and Maggie’s feud over the past year in their world and the fact that they had refused to speak to each other. 

It saddened Amandil and understandably so, because no parents wanted to see their children argue with each other. Nat knew the feeling all too well from her own siblings with whom she occasionally quarreled, even as adults. After what seemed like hours later, Nat rejoined Pippin and Gandalf who were looking out over the plains before them, into Mordor ahead. Nat’s mind immediately strayed to Laura and she wondered how far along their journey she was? She wished she’d had more time to tell Laura about all the things ahead, like Shelob the Spider and Gollum’s real intentions. Now, she had to find out for herself.

"There are no stars anymore. Is it time?" Nat looked up at the sky and saw that Pippin was right. It was just black, no stars were twinkling and she couldn't see any constellations at all.

"Yes." Gandalf replied

"It's so quiet." Nat whispered and it was an uneasy kind of silence that sent chills down her spine.

"It's the deep breath before the plunge." said Gandalf

"I don't want to be in a battle, but waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse." Pippin told them "Is there any hope Gandalf; for Frodo, Laura and Sam?"

The wizard fell silent for a few moments, as if he was thinking very hard about what he was going to tell them. "There never was much hope Pippin; only a fool's hope."

"Still," said Nat "It's better than not having any hope at all."

"Aye. The enemy is ready. His full strength is gathered. Not only orcs but men as well; mercenaries from the coast. All will answer Mordor's call. This will be the end of Gondor as we know it; here the hammer fall will strike the hardest. If the river is taken, if the garrison of Osgiliath falls, the last defence of this city is gone."

"But we have the White Wizard!" Pippin said, suddenly cheering up a little "That's got to count for something right!"

"Sauron has yet to reveal his deadliest servant,"

Nat knew exactly who it was the wizard meant.

_ The witch king of Angmar,  _ she thought to herself. And hell if she wasn't scared of him.

Nat’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud noise that drew all their attention towards Mordor. 

"Holy shit!” Nat exclaimed “What the hell was that?"

"Gandalf?" Pippin, Nat and Gandalf were all staring at the green flash or whatever the hell it was, that shot up right up into the sky from Mordor. Nat immediately ruled out the 'strange weather phenomena' theory and decided it could only mean one thing; the enemy were on the move. Pippin stood next to her, terrified and shaking and so the wizard put a protective arm around the hobbit as though to tell him that it would be alright. Somehow, Nat thought, it had all suddenly become so very real.

"We've come to it at last," said the wizard and just for one moment Nat could swear that there was fear even in Gandalf's voice. "The great battle of our time; the board is set, the pieces are moving. You two must come with me immediately."

Nat and Pippin exchanged somewhat confused glances but nevertheless they did as they were told and followed the wizard back down a set of stairs and they walked quickly through the city.

"Peregrin Took my lad; there is a task now to be done; another opportunity for one of the Shire folk to prove their great worth!" said Gandalf

The wizard glanced up and Nat saw that he was looking at the beacons of Minas Tirith.

"You must not fail me." Gandalf said.

Nat immediately understood what Pippin had been asked to do. The young hobbit nodded and then he ran as quickly as he could towards the beacon and Nat could only hope that he wouldn't be caught.

* * *

"Felix, you know what I've just realised?"

"That you actually miss watching daytime TV and eating potato waffles?” 

Maggie’s eyebrows furrowed and realised that Felix was almost completely off with the fairies. Since the victory celebrations after Helm’s Deep, he’d been more distant and whenever she or Nat tried to talk to him, they had to repeat themselves at least once. She wondered if it had something to do with his conundrum regarding two handsome men who both wanted his attention. The atmosphere between Legolas and Eomer wasn’t exactly hostile but you could definitely tell there was tension. Felix must have finally caught on that something was going on. 

“What’s up with you?” Maggie asked “You’ve been...weirder than usual?” 

Felix’s gaze darted across the room and landed on Eomer’s silhouette. The blonde-haired man gracefully strided across the room and Maggie noticed his eyes too met Felix’s. 

“Hello? Earth to Felix?” Maggie waved her hand in front of her friend who snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention back to her. 

“Hm? What? Yes?” Felix mumbled and when he saw Maggie’s smug smirk, his cheeks turned pink. “Sorry, there’s been a lot on my mind lately.”

“You want to talk about it?” 

Felix sighed and buried his face in his hands. 

“I just wish I knew what my heart bloody wanted.” he explained “Don’t get me wrong Mags, I’m amazed and happy that you’re able to have two partners, but that’s not a lifestyle for me.”

“Which is fair enough.” Maggie said “I’m lucky that Fee and Elrond are so close and that it works for us. I have a feeling if you tried it with Eomer and ‘Las, it would end in blood. I’m going to tell you something my brother told me a very long time ago. You are young, Felix. You don’t have to make any kind of life altering decision. I know our situation is a bit different what with being in the middle of war, but spend time with each of them, if you can. See what your heart wants and then speak with them. You’re all adults in this and I’m sure Eomer and ‘Las are both capable of having a conversation without drawing their weapons.”

Felix chuckled and Maggie realised it had been a long time since any of them had laughed. 

“Anyway, my drama aside, what was your big realisation?” Felix wondered 

"Last time I was in labour, I was in the safety of Elrond’s House, with both Master Oin and Talathel to help me out. Out here, there are no infirmaries or safe places for labour. What if I end up going into labour on the road?” Maggie remembered the pain of labour very clearly and she was certain even Aragorn must remember her cries as she pushed Theo out of her womb. 

"You'll be alright Mags; there'll be plenty of people around to take care of you.” Felix assured her in the same lighthearted way he always did. “Either way, you're strong, you'll pull through it. Hell, you’re the Queen of Erebor "

"Well, this queen is terrified and I miss both Elrond and Fili.” 

Thankfully, Maggie knew Fili was alive. If he wasn’t, she was certain Elrond would have found a way of telling her by now. Her husband’s recovery would no doubt take time and Maggie was anxious to get back to him, so that she could be by his side. 

“How are you guys going to work things now that you’re moving to Erebor?” Felix wondered “Correct me if I’m wrong, but Elrond doesn’t seem too keen on leaving Rivendell.” 

Felix wasn’t wrong but, back in Rivendell, when they discussed how things would change between the three of them now that they were married, Fili came up with a suggestion that both excited her and also frightened her a little. 

“Actually, we were thinking that in a few years time, Fili might pass the crown to Theo.” Maggie explained. “It’s always been his birthright. The reason why Fee took the throne in the first place was to safeguard it for Theo, for when he is ready. I think, with some guidance and training, in two or three years even, he’ll be ready if he wants it. There’s no pressure obviously, Theo is free to do what he wants with his life.”   
  
“But you and Fili want to live with Elrond in Rivendell?” Felix guessed “Have you talked to Theo about any of this?” 

Maggie shook her head. “No, there hasn’t really been an opportune moment. Besides, I’m just happy to have him back and that he doesn’t hate me for leaving him.” 

Even after a couple of months on the road and getting to know her son, Maggie still felt the guilt of abandoning her son sting in her heart. She suspected that guilt would never quite leave her, just like a near-fatal injury that took time to heal. Somehow, her thoughts strayed to the nightmarish vision of the previous night and she heard Sauron’s taunting threats echoing in the back of her mind. Felix must have noticed the change in her expression, because he put a gentle hand on hers. He didn’t need to say anything to know what he meant. 

“You know, changing the subject entirely.” he said “I’ve got something that’ll definitely cheer you up.”

“Ben and Jerry’s half-baked ice cream?” Maggie guessed

"Even better."

Felix reached inside his pocket and got out his iPod. He'd mentioned having it in Moria but they had all been through so much that they hadn't even considered bringing it out until now. The fact that it was there and not a single scratch on it was in both Maggie's and Felix's eyes as much of a miracle as anything.

"Oh my god, it still has batteries?" Maggie asked

Felix nodded. "It's been off for the whole journey so yeah, 100%."

Maggie couldn't even explain how happy she was at that moment. It may just be a small iPod but there was still music in it and it was music from their world. Music from home.

"I could kiss you!" Maggie said "But I won't because you know, that would be a little awkward."

"So what shall we listen to first? I have something like 4GB worth of music so we can—" Felix was suddenly interrupted by Aragorn who was running through Edoras past them up the stairs. Maggie and Felix looked at each other, quickly put the iPod away and hurried after Aragorn into the great hall where the king was gathered and shortly followed by Boromir, Riley and the others. 

"The beacons of Minas Tirith!" Aragorn exclaimed "The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid."

"They did it," Riley whispered "They really did it."

There was silence for a moment whilst everyone waited for Théoden to decide what to do about it.

"And Rohan will answer!" said the King "Muster the Rohirrim!"

_ Finally,  _ Maggie thought with relief.

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
> _There we go! Another chapter done and I’m sorry if it wasn’t terrible exciting, but a little bit of dialogue I needed to get out of the way! Whose point of view would you like to read next? What do you think of Maggie’s nightmares? What about Theo and Aragorn’s argument? Will they resolve things? Felix/Legolas/Eomer drama? What do we think about that? Please let me know in the comments and leave kudos if you’re enjoying it!_  
>  **


	15. Laura's Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Laura struggles on her journey with Frodo and Sam...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Hey guys! Another exceptionally late update! Sorry it’s been a while, life has been a little crazy lately. I hope you guys are doing well and that you’re keeping well and safe with your families. If you’re still reading this, I hope you are still enjoying it :) 

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Laura's Trials_   
  


When news came of the beacons of Gondor, Maggie felt immediate relief. Not only because it meant Nat and Pippin were still okay, but because it meant things were still going somewhat according to plan. During her travels with the Company of Thorin, Maggie learned quickly that their presence altered the timeline. Simply by being in Middle-Earth, so much of what they all already knew was now totally redundant and the uncertainty made everything far more frightening. Especially where the prophecy was concerned. As far they all knew, so far they were all still alive but for how long? The question still weighed heavy on everyone’s shoulders, yet it was a fact nobody dared speaking about. 

Saruman’s words before his death at Orthanc stirred a deep fear within Maggie and even though she dreaded to even consider the thought, a part of her wondered if the prophecy was to do with her unborn child. During the Five Armies, it was only by pure luck that she’d survived her pregnancy with Theo, she knew that. In her dreams though, Sauron had made it very clear that he was going to claim a life for a life and get what he was owed, whatever that meant. The visions showed Riley’s lifeless body on the battlefield and in an instant Maggie recalled all the horrible emotions of Thorin’s passing. This grudge of Sauron’s ran so deep that Maggie knew he would not stop until he got what he wanted. 

Of course Maggie couldn’t deny that she was absolutely terrified of Sauron and the power he held over Middle-Earth. The fact that he’d seen into her mind made her vulnerable and with a baby, she became even more of a liability to King Théoden. It was pretty safe to say that the King and Maggie were not overly friendly with each other. Sure, Maggie respected Théoden as a ruler and had no doubt that he did what he thought best for his people, she just disagreed with his methods. They’d barely survived Helm’s Deep and only did so because of Aragorn’s leadership and the elven army’s arrival. 

Since the news of the Gondor beacons, King Théoden ordered everyone to prepare for a journey to Dunharrows, which would take at least two weeks, if things went according to plan. Without Nat and Laura, Maggie once again felt like she had during the Quest to Erebor: alone in a world of men. Obviously she was happy that Felix and Riley were there, but it still wasn't the same. Maggie was grateful for Eowyn's company and no doubt she understood what Maggie felt. Two strong women in a world where being a woman sometimes meant you had to fight harder for your place. It was yet another aspect of being queen that worried Maggie; would she gain the respect of her people? Particularly in dwarrow society which was very heavily ruled by men. Would she be able to raise a daughter in such a world? 

“We need to talk.” 

Riley's presence snapped Maggie out of her thoughts. Her brother's voice was unusually serious and when she turned to him, his expression matched his tone. Maggie knew Riley had been talking to Thèoden, Aragorn and the others. She didn't need to guess the nature of their conversation and she wondered if Riley's worried posture had anything to do with it. Whenever she'd spent time apart from her brother, Maggie thought it was easier to see how much he'd changed as a person. It was as true now as it was many years ago. Since their first arrival in Middle-Earth, Riley was a changed person and definitely for the better. He was less impulsive and far more calm and collected than Maggie had ever known him to be. 

Marrying Bilbo Baggins was undoubtedly the best thing to have ever happened to her brother. Seeing his Master Burglar so old must have been more of a shock than Riley had been willing to admit to anyone. Still, his love for the old hobbit remained unchanged, but Maggie couldn’t help but wonder what life they would have when all this was over. Would Bilbo still sail to the undying lands and would Riley perhaps even sail with him? Everyone deserves a happy ending, but none more so than her brother after all the trials and hardships he’d lived through both in Middle-Earth and back in their world. 

  
“I’m not sure I want to talk about the dreams yet, Ri.” Maggie began but Riley almost instantly cut her off. 

“No, not the dreams.” he said shortly “Your sons.” 

“What about them?” 

“They had an argument.”

Maggie let out a slight chuckle because it surprised her that Riley would seem so serious over something so ordinary like an argument.    


“Okay, this may come as a total shock to you.” Maggie said “But siblings sometimes fight. God knows we do.” 

Riley leaned against the wall. “Yeah well, I’ve got to tell Mags, I have threatened to disown you as my sister.” 

Maggie felt the colour drain away from her face and suddenly she felt the same worry Riley showed. She immediately wondered what Aragorn and Theo had fought about to come out with such a strong statement. If it was one thing their family took seriously, was the bond they all shared. Threatening to disown one another wasn’t something to take lightly, especially not after everything they’d gone through over the years. 

“What happened?” she wondered 

“Like I said, Theo threatened to disown Aragorn because he thought it was best that you leave Edoras because you’re pregnant.” Riley explained “Theo got angry and told Aragorn in no uncertain terms, that if you leave and get hurt because Sauron wants to draw you out, then he is never going to forgive Aragorn and that he would cease to be his brother. Honestly, it was pretty intense, not even you and I have argued like that.”

“Oh geez, this family and our drama.” Maggie sighed 

“Uh huh, so can we deal with it before it gets worse?” Riley suggested “I figured I’ll talk to Theo and you can talk to Aragorn, yeah?” 

With those final words, Riley left to go find Theo and Maggie had a feeling it wouldn’t be too difficult to find Aragorn. On her way through the corridors, she saw Boromir conversing with Éomer and Maggie wondered if Felix had managed to make any more sense of his personal conundrum. As she passed through the Golden Halls of Edoras and outside, Maggie noticed a restlessness amongst the people. It hung in the air like a weighted blanket and Maggie guessed that most people could feel it like a knot tightening in their stomach but they couldn’t quite explain why. To her, it was an all too familiar feeling when war beckoned and felt just as uncomfortable now as it had always done. A few minutes later, Maggie found Aragorn in the stables where he stood talking to Brego. Even as a child in Rivendell, the stables had always been his favourite place to seek shelter when something bothered him. 

“I thought you were setting Brego free?” Maggie asked as she walked up to the horsebox. 

“He chose to stay.” Aragorn replied as he gently stroked Brego’s mane. “Just like I gather you have?” 

The disappointment in Aragorn’s voice rang clear but he was right, Maggie had made up her mind. It was much safer for her to stay where there was strength in numbers. No matter where she went, the baby would be at risk, but at least in the company of the others, they could protect her. As much as Maggie considered herself an independent woman perfectly capable of looking after herself, she knew it was okay to ask for help. 

“I know it’s not what you want, but I agree with Theo, it’s what’s best.” Maggie said “Even if I go to Erebor or Rivendell, I’m more vulnerable on the road and it’s not worth the risk so early in the pregnancy when everything is dependent on me being careful.”   


Aragorn exhaled a frustrated sigh and probably realised that it was pointless to talk Maggie into leaving Edoras. He whispered soothing words in Elvish to Brego, only some of which Maggie could understand as her Elvish was a little rusty. She placed her hand on Aragorn’s and the ranger turned around to her. The sadness of Theo’s harsh words were clearly visible in his eyes and Maggie felt it in her heart. She knew Theo hadn’t meant and that it was just the dwarrow in him coming out more clearly now that he had something that was his, which he loved. Possessiveness was something in his nature which he couldn’t always control. Maggie knew it from both Thorin and from Fili, even though it was rare her husband became as possessive as his uncle had always been. Even though she had only been back in Middle-Earth for a few months and she was still getting to know her son, she knew how much love Theo had for his brother and that he wouldn’t really disown him. 

“Siblings fight, Aragorn.” Maggie said “Some more so than others and sometimes, people say things in the heat of the moment. God knows Riley and I have had our fair share of quite aggressive arguments. Theo is never going to disown you as a brother, he loves you.” 

“He _did_ mean it, though.” Aragorn told her “I saw it in his eyes, the possessiveness over you. The part that makes him more dwarrow than human sometimes. It has become a lot stronger recently.” 

“You don’t like it? It’s a part of who he is, surely you must have known it would grow as he got older?” 

It surprised Maggie that Aragorn seemed so unhappy with this particular part of Theo’s personality. Admittedly, Maggie knew that spending a lot of time with dwarves could sometimes be incredibly frustrating, but it was just a part of their nature. 

“I do not like the idea of you staying so close to battle,” Aragorn admitted “But if that is your wish, then I’ll do my best to protect you and my sister.” 

“You have to talk to Theo too.” Maggie pressed “We can’t be fighting each other if we’re going to the front line. That’s exactly what Sauron wants, to divide us. Yes, I agree Theo’s words were unfair and harsh, but you need to talk it out before it grows into something much worse. Believe me, the worst thing in the world is to grow apart from the one person you can count on because of an argument or a misunderstanding.” 

Maggie could feel the frustration in stirring within Aragorn, so she placed the palm of her hand on his face and gently turned his face towards her. 

“Estel, you have to speak with your brother.” Maggie urged him “Don’t let it fester. I don’t want you guys to go through what Riley and I went through. You’re both supposed to become kings and a part of that is solving conflicts. Obviously, I can’t tell you what to do, you’re a grown man but at least think about it,  _ ion-nin _ ?” 

Aragorn nodded and kissed Maggie on the cheek before she left him to saddle the horses. Maggie on the other hand, had a feeling it was going to be a very long day. 

* * *

Boromir liked Edoras. Sure, it wasn’t Minas Tirith, but the city had a certain charm to it. As a child, he’d grown up hearing stories about the Great Feats of King Théoden and the Riders of Rohan, but he seldom ventured beyond the borders of Gondor. His father the Steward believed strongly in the strength of Gondor as a kingdom and Boromir had to admit that sometimes, heäd been guilty of possessing that same view. He was proud to be a Son of Gondor but up until recently, he’d believed his father’s delusion that Gondor didn’t need a king. After having spent time with Aragorn and after the heir of Isildur saved his life, Boromir had changed his mind. Now, he would be proud to serve Aragorn as a king of Gondor. As the days passed, it became clear to Boromir that Aragorn was indeed a great leader to whom people looked up. 

That morning, Boromir had seen a number of things. First, he’d woken up to the scream of Maggie’s nightmares. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard somebody having dreams, not to mention he sometimes suffered nightmares himself. Usually, they were all set during his childhood, regarding the death of his mother, which he remembered vividly. Following Maggie’s nightmares or visions, there had been the argument between Aragorn and Theo. Even though Boromir hadn’t been present in the room at the time, their voices echoed throughout the Théoden’s Hall. Being an older brother himself, Boromir knew that sometimes siblings fought and sometimes cruel words were spoken, but threatening to disown your own kin was something Boromir would never even consider, no matter how annoying Faramir could sometimes be. 

All these years, Boromir thought his own family could be quite dysfunctional in their own way and have a lot to deal with but it seemed like Aragorn’s family might take the price for that. If he was really honest with himself, it was only recently that Boromir had taken a liking to Maggie. Earlier on in their journey and even during their first meeting back in Rivendell, the captain of Gondor had found the young queen frustrating. But, over the past months and after seeing how the others interacted with Maggie, especially Laura. After getting to know her, Boromir had gained a lot of respect for Maggie and had even come to see her as a friend. At times, he still found it odd that someone so young had taken on the role of matriarch in their family, but she handled it with grace and no small amount of determination. 

“Pass me that, will you?” Felix asked as he pointed at the pile of packing behind Boromir. They’d spent the day helping the king’s men preparing for the journey to Dunharrow. It brought Boromir’s thoughts to the final thing he’d noticed recently. Felix’s absent-mindedness. He knew the reason why of course, that much was obvious to everyone except apparently Felix. 

Regarding the matter of romantic relationships, Boromir was not conservative in his opinions. As far as he was concerned, if two people loved each other, it mattered little whether it was love between two men or two women. His father had other opinions but Denethor was more set in his old ways and changing his opinion was a bit like turning rock into gold. Out of all of them, it was Felix who had become a close friend to Boromir and they often spent evenings talking about all manner of things. Of course, Boromir noticed the growing tension between Legolas, Éomer and Felix, which truthfully was all rather amusing. Every time one of them passed by, Felix’s face turned a bright shade of red, which was unusual for a man who Boromir knew was often in control of his emotions. During the celebrations after Helm’s Deep, Boromir could have sworn he saw Felix steal a brief kiss from Éomer, while Legolas' jealous eyes watched. Since then, things had been a little awkward between, a feeling which once more appeared when Éomer walked past them. . 

“Are you going to ignore it forever?” Boromir asked, with an unusual hint of sass in his voice. “Or are you going to face it?” 

“Oh God, not you too.” Felix sighed “There is nothing to face.” 

“So I did not see you stealing a kiss from Éomer the other night?”  Felix nervously looked around to make sure neither Éomer nor Legolas were within earshot of their conversation. 

“Oh for….shh!” Felix hushed “Maggie is right, nothing is secret in this place. Even if I considered talking to them, now is hardly the time.”   


“You are looking for excuses, Felix.” Boromir said “Hasn’t this war proven that life is too short to not take chances?” 

Boromir saw the growing frustration within Felix but also saw the admit 

* * *

“Look! It’s the White Rider!” 

Nat ran upstairs and pushed her way through to the crowd that was standing by the balcony looking out over the fields. The Nazgul were chasing what was left of the garrison from Osgiliath all the way back to Minas Tirith, but Gandalf was riding out with Pippin. A blinding and bright white light shone from Gandalf's staff, which seemed to scare off the Nazgul and because of this, the garrison were all able to get back to the city safely. Nat ran back down the stairs and caught up with Pippin and Gandalf, who were speaking to a young ginger-haired man whose features looked familiar to Natalie. She could only assume that the man speaking to Gandalf at that moment was Faramir and that he was familiar to her because of the resemblance her bore to his brother, Boromir. The thought of Boromir made Nat wonder if Faramir knew his brother was alive or if he still believed he was dead after finding his horn in the river? 

"Mithrandir! They broke our defences!" Faramir said, with a panicked voice "They've taken the bridge and the West Bank!"

"It is as Lord Denethor predicted!" said another man "Long has he foreseen this doom!"

"Foreseen and done nothing!" Gandalf snapped angrily

Faramir seemed like he was about to say something but his eyes fell on Pippin and then on Nat. In that instant, Nat knew immediately that he had indeed come across Laura and the hobbits. It sparked a bit of hope inside her because it meant that Laura was still alive. 

"This is not the first time you've seen a Halfling, nor someone like Natalie." Faramir shook his head and at this confirmation both Nat and Pippin's faces lit up.

"You've seen Frodo and Sam!" Pippin realised 

"And Laura! Oh thank god!" Nat said

"Where?" Gandalf asked "When?!"

"In Ithilien, not two days ago." Faramir said. He should have sounded happy but there was something in the tone of his voice that made Nat think there was more to it. "But Gandalf; they've taken the road to the Morgul Vale and then the pass of Cirith Ungul.”

"What does that mean?" Pippin asked worriedly "What's wrong?" 

"Gandalf, I must know….what news are there of my brother? What have you heard of Boromir?” Faramir wondered “We found his broken horn washed up on the shore but Laura seems adamant that he is alive. I do not wish to tell my father his favourite son has died but I also do not wish to bring him false hope where there is none.”

If one thing had become clear over the past months of travelling with the Fellowship, it was how in love Boromir was with Laura and it would bring him immense joy to know that she was alive and well. Nat also knew how much Boromir loved his brother after how much he spoke about Faramir and all their hijinks as children. 

“Boromir is alive.” Nat confirmed “He’s in Edoras with the others. I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic to know that Laura is alive and well.” 

“Aye, her love for him runs deep.” Faramir agreed “That much is clear. You and Laura are friends? She told me there were others with you as well?” 

“Yeah, there’s Maggie, Felix and Riley back in Edoras. We’ve all been worried sick about Laura and the hobbits.” 

“I would not worry about Miss Laura and Master Samwise. It is the Ringbearer and the creature who has his eyes locked on him that concerns me.”

“Gollum….” 

Faramir’s eyebrow furrowed and Nat realised she might have revealed too much. 

"Faramir, tell me everything.” Gandalf urged as he stepped forward “Tell me all you know.

* * *

To Laura, the dangerously steep steps seemed never-ending. She was exhausted and couldn't understand how all of them, especially Frodo, found the strength to keep going. Gollum led the way, followed by the Ringbearer, then Laura and lastly Sam. Laura knew that Sam was sleep deprived as she was, because they’d both taken turns keeping watch a night. Both of them agreed that Gollum had plans for Frodo, perhaps for all of them, and at least by keeping watch at night, they might catch him in time and then they’d be able to confront him. Neither of them had told Frodo, partly because they knew Frodo was too exhausted and consumed by the willpower of the Ring to see clearly. He was hellbent on the idea of Frodo’s redemption and it was difficult to truly understand where his motivation came from. Not a day went by when Laura didn’t miss her friends, but now she missed them more than ever. The further she climbed, the more she became aware how much closer they were getting to Mordor. In some ways, it was a relief because it meant the journey was almost over. Deep down though, Laura also knew that the worst was yet to come and it was the part that truly frightened her. 

Frodo’s sudden yelp snapped Laura out of her thoughts. As she cast her glance upwards, she saw the hobbit lose his footing on a particularly slippery rock and managed to fall. To Laura’s surprise, Gollum grabbed Frodo mid-air and pulled him back up to a somewhat flat surface where he could catch his breath. Laura exhaled the breath she’d been holding in herself and when she looked down at Sam, she noticed he too was just as relieved. 

"Frodo!" Laura called out “Are you alright?” 

"Careful Master!" Gollum told them, although Laura swore he wasn't very concerned about Frodo's well being at all. "Very far too fall!"

"Yeah you don't have to tell us twice." Laura said

Frodo struggled to grab hold of the next platform and when both Laura and Sam saw Gollum reach out towards him, they both had the same horrible thought. However, it was Samwise who acted first. 

"Get back you maggot!" Sam threatened "Don't you touch him!"

"Don't even think about it!" Laura said. 

Once again to Laura’s surprise, Gollum didn't take the ring, even though he had a perfect opportunity to do so instead, he helped pull Frodo onto the very last step. Frodo lay on the ground, panting heavily and with the exhaustion clearly visible on his face. Laura wondered if Maggie and Riley’s journey with the dwarves had been this difficult. Isolation was something that had always frightened Laura. Some of the horror novels that scared her the most were those where its protagonists were all alone in an unfamiliar landscape, far away from all that they knew. It reminded her of how vulnerable people truly were and she felt that now more than ever. 

"Why do they hates poor Sméagol? What has Sméagol ever done to them?" Gollum whined "Master carries a heavy burden." Gollum continued as he turned to Frodo "Sméagol knows." And then he whispered something that Laura couldn't quite hear. Then, Gollum turned around and stared her right into the eyes with a look that truly terrified her. In that moment, she wished she was back with her friends. She closed her eyes and imagined she was back in the arms of Boromir where it was safe and far away from all the danger. 

That night, Laura didn’t sleep and nor did Sam. They had both stayed awake for what seemed like hours, watching Gollum because they were both sure that when he got the chance he would take the ring. Neither Laura nor Sam would let that happen because the three of them had been through too much together and the quest was too important to let it be ruined by a creature like Gollum. Something Laura noticed was that the closer they got to Mordor, the darker the sky was. These days, it was rare that the sun peered through the clouds at all and it got more difficult to tell whether it was morning, afternoon or evening without the sunlight. 

"What food do we have left?" Frodo asked with a hoarse voice , 

"Well let's see there's the…" Sam looked through his bag hoping to find the rest of the lembas bread from the elves but when he kept digging he couldn't find any.

“What is it Sam?” Laura wondered

"The bread's gone!" Sam realised. The panic was visible in his eyes and when he looked at Laura they both knew what had happened. 

"He took it!" Sam pointed at Gollum but he immediately decided to play innocent.

"Always blaming Sméagol." Gollum jumped up onto a rock next to Sam and Laura had a feeling she wasn't going to like where this was going. "What's this? Breadcrumbs on his jacket says  _ he _ took it!" Gollum brushed breadcrumbs off Sam's jacket.

"No." Laura said "You lying, cheating, filthy little bastard.  _ You  _ put those there! That wasn't Sam! Sam would never!"

"Don't listen to her Master. They're both in on it. I've seen him. He's always stuffing his face."

"That's a filthy lie!" Sam leaped forward at Gollum and punched him (which Laura thought was the least he deserved) but she saw what it did to Frodo and when Frodo pushed Sam away from Gollum he almost collapsed and Laura rushed to him. 

"Frodo!"

"I'm alright Laura." Frodo said but they all knew that as a lie.

"No, no you're not alright!” Sam said “I can see what the ring is doing to you! But maybe I could help. Maybe I could carry it for a while so that you can rest? Share the load?"

Laura knew it was only a friendly suggestion on Sam’s part, because it pained the gardener to see his friend in so much pain. In Frodo's mind however, it was an attempt to take the ring away from him and in sheer panic and anger Frodo pushed Sam away.

"Get away!" Frodo snapped “Don’t touch me!” 

"See," Gollum hissed from behind Frodo, his smile growing ever so sinister. "He wants it for himself!"

Laura had heard enough now. "Don't listen to him! Frodo can't you see that this  _ isn't _ you! The  _ ring _ is doing this to you! Gollum is doing this to you!" Laura was scared and angry and was crying at the same time. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and what Frodo was doing. "We're your friends Frodo. Sam is your friend! Gollum  _ isn't _ ! He's only taking advantage of the situation for his own personal gain; he doesn't care about any of us. Least of all you!"

"She wants it too!" Gollum said “Yeessss….I can see it clearly now. The greed in her eyes. Look closer master, these are not your true friends.” 

"Shut up you!" Sam said “Don’t you talk to her like that!” 

Sam’s face was bright red and tears streamed down his face. 

"No Sam;" Frodo said "It's you."

"But he's a liar. Can't you see that? He's poisoned you against us."

"Frodo." Laura said "Please listen to us; he's  _ manipulated  _ you. This is  _ exactly  _ what he wants and we can't let him have that. Frodo…please."

"No Laura; you two can't help me anymore.” Frodo said “Go home.” 

"You don't mean that…" Sam said "What about Laura? She can't just go home! She doesn't have a home to go to!"

Frodo turned to Laura who stood in shock, not knowing what to say or do."Fine, you can come."

"I'm not leaving Sam out here on his own!" Laura cried out, her voice growing more shrill by the moment. She could feel her heart beating faster and the panic growing inside her. When she spoke, she heard the tearful panic in her own voice. 

"It's your choice, Laura" Frodo told her "But I'm leaving  _ now _ ."

Frodo turned around and started walking and Laura looked at Sam who was devastated, but he grabbed her hands. "Go with him Laura. He needs you. I'll be fine."

Laura wasn't sure she believed Sam but what other choice did she have left?

**_To be continued…_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, another chapter over! I’m so sorry it took ages! I’m trying my best to not let this be a fic where I’m just going after the movie altogether so if you have suggestion of things you’d like to see happen, let me know. What do we think about Theo and Aragorn’s argument? How will it resolve? Who do you want to ship Felix with? Éomer or Legolas? What about Nat? Should she get someone? In that case, who? Let me know what you think. I’m not sure if anyone is still reading this fic but leave a comment or a kudos if you are! 


	16. Cabin Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which tension begins to brew....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh look! Updates are a little later now that life is a bit crazy. If you’re still reading this and like it, do let me know! My inspiration is back folks! I still have no idea whether to ship Felix with Legolas or Éomer so if you have a favourite, do let me know! 

**Chapter Sixteen**

_ Cabin Fever  _

Legolas’ heart was troubled. It was a fact that frustrated him to no end, because he considered himself an elf more than capable of handling his own emotions. The Prince of Mirkwood knew that those who did not know him particularly well, often saw him as being rather callous. Perhaps it was a stereotype humans often had of elves in general, for which Legolas could not blame them as it was often true. Throughout his life, Legolas had never purposely sought love and had always been happy in his own company. He’d always valued friendship more than romance, even though he had taken lovers to bed before. The fact that Legoas was still unwe was the bane of his father’s life and King Thranduil made no secret of it. Over the centuries, suitable suitors had been sent to Mirkwood upon his father’s request and it always ended the same way; the young elf-maidens were sent home in tears and Legolas’ father shook his head in disappointment. 

Despite his father’s words, Legolas had never been unhappy due to the lack of love. After Tauriel had chosen Kili all those years ago, it took some time to accept her choice, but he would much rather she’d live a happy life with someone she truly loved. As a result, both Tauriel and Kili were two people whom Legolas considered close friends. Speaking of which, Legolas was also certain that had he not met Maggie and Riley, his opinion of dwarves would have been much less friendly than they were these days. Just like Maggie had told me, he found himself seeing a good friend in Gimli and someone with whom he could have honest conversation. No doubt the dwarf was far more observant that he let on, an annoying trait he shared with Legolas. 

If it was one thing that had become obvious to the blonde elf, it was that everyone was starting to feel the pressure of war. The victory at Helm’s Deep had been hard won and many people suffered with nightmares from the battle. Legolas had seen it before after the Five Armies, where both Maggie and Riley had suffered with Battle Terror. For the past few nights, he’d noticed similar behaviour in Felix. Elves slept, not because they necessarily needed to all the time but because it was comfortable. On the nights when Legolas didn’t sleep, he’d heard Felix having nightmares and waking up, panting. In the past few nights, Felix and Legolas would often sit outside talking, something they had done even during the trek to Edoras and the elf-prince had always felt a close connection to him. 

And, Legolas thought, for a moment he’d allowed himself to believe that maybe those feelings that began to stir were reciprocated. After seeing Felix’s advances towards Éomer at the victory celebrations, Legolas was no longer certain. Perhaps he’d been a fool to think it was wise to open his heart towards a human. All his life, Legolas had been brought up with the belief that elves were never meant to become romantically involved with anyone who wasn’t an elf. Over the past sixty years, that belief had been challenged; not only by Maggie who had fallen in love with Thorin Oakenshield all those years ago, but also by Tauriel and her love for Kili which still reigned strong after all this time. Not to mention there was the love between Bilbo Baggins Riley. Legolas often wondered what would happen between those two after the war, because unlike Maggie and her lovers, age had certainly changed Bilbo. 

Even though Legolas knew that age had not become a problem between Maggie, Fili and Elrond it was undeniably a factor that mattered. Elves lived for thousands of years and humans did not. Committing yourself to a human lover meant that you eventually had to accept and acknowledge the fact that they would wither and die while you stayed young. Legolas sometimes wondered if that actually would be the case for Maggie and Riley, because of their Numénorean genes. Most Numénoreans lived past the age of 500 and given that they also had House of Elros genes in them, Legolas wasn’t sure if that changed their lifespan somehow. Their father, he knew, was a unique case given that he had been taken out of Middle-Earth but their ancestry remained the same. So, a part of Legolas wondered if it was possible that Maggie and Riley’s lifespans would be longer than that of their friends. 

Felix however, would have the lifespan of a normal human and a part of Legolas couldn’t help but wonder if it was even worth pursuing. Yet, the blonde elf-prince couldn’t ignore the surge of jealousy he’d felt when Felix’s lips had met Éomer’s. Jealousy and rage. The last time Legolas had felt anything similar was when Tauriel had met Kili. 

“Oh quit yer moping, laddie.” Gimli said as he choked on a bit of inhaled smoke “If you want my advice, which I know you do, but yer too damn proud to ask. That’s the problem with you elves.”

“What is your point, Gimli?” Legolas asked as he crossed his arms 

“The way I see it, you have two choices.” Gimli turned towards Legolas who skeptically furrowed his eyebrows. “You can either carry on with this self-pity of yours, or you could grow a spine and talk to Felix.” 

“It seems to me like he’s made his choice.” 

“Oh Durin’s Bane, laddie! I may have been drunk that night, but I saw what happened and I saw that Felix regretted it. There’s no denying that Éomer is a fine man, but that’s not where Felix’s heart lies.” 

The ginger-haired dwarf got back up on his feet and put a friendly hand on Legolas’ shoulder. Even though Legolas had spent a lot of time around dwarves in the years gone past and even though he found them annoying and frustrating a lot of the time, he couldn’t deny that they were also often wise. This too was the case with Gimli. 

“Do us all a favour, Legolas.” Gimli said “You and I both know that war isn’t pretty and things will get worse before they get better. Make the most of what you have before it’s gone.”

With that, Gimli left Legolas feeling frustrated because if anything, his friend was right. 

* * *

“Queen Margaret, a moment of your time if you will?” 

The sound of Théoden’s voice caught Maggie off guard. Not only because she’d been lost in her own thoughts, but because the two of them didn’t exactly go out of each other’s way to talk. Maggie didn’t exactly have any problems with Théoden but it was a case of the old saying “you don’t have to like all your colleagues”. All morning, Maggie had felt as though she was walking on eggshells. The argument between Theo and Aragorn weighed heavy on both her and Riley’s shoulders and it hadn’t yet fizzled out. Then, there was the tension between Felix, Éomer and Legolas which became noticeable to everyone with two capable eyes. Maggie had even heard Éowyn snap at Éomer earlier. At a guess, Maggie figured the fact they were all living in close quarters to each other and with the tension of brewing war lingering in the air made everyone a bit more on edge than usual. 

As for Maggie herself, she was feeling anxious. She knew the feeling of being on the edge of a battle she couldn’t escape, but this one felt different. More unpredictable and like anything could happen or go wrong. The heightened anxiety was also probably a result of her pregnancy, even in its early stages. Above all, Maggie felt like she was a burden to people, especially now that she was pregnant. A liability. Perhaps, wanting to have a child with Fili was a self decision to make but she knew she wanted a second child and she felt the love for her unborn to the core of her soul. 

Maggie inhaled and exhaled a deep breath before she turned around to Théoden. The king was dressed as though he was ready to ride out to battle, even though the party to Dunharrow wouldn’t depart for another day or so. There were a lot of preparations to make and orders to delegate. Something the books and movies definitely left out when it came to details. Would she too have to order people about when she moved to Erebor? Maggie wondered. Was she even comfortable with that idea? She was decisive and stubborn, yes, but a leader? She wasn’t so certain. The thought of Erebor awakened a deep sense of yearning inside Maggie. She missed her husband and couldn’t help but feeling as though she had abandoned him. She also missed Elrond and wondered when she would get to see the two again. 

“Uh, sure.” Maggie finally replied, “What’s up?” 

Théoden furrowed an eyebrow, as if the phrase ‘what’s up’ was strange to him. The king reached inside one of his pockets and handed a small envelope to Maggie. She recognised the royal seal of Durin and opened the letter. For some reason, she decided to read it out loud instead of keeping the words to herself. 

“ _ My dear Maggie,  _

_ Or rather, I suppose I should say your majesty, now?  _

_ I trust this raven finds you well, these are troubling times we live in and one can never be too sure with Saruman’s spies everywhere. Even in the sky. I’m writing to you with good news. Fili’s recovery is going well and he is once again up on his feet. Without Lord Elrond’s help, I fear my news would not have been of the good kind. Fili has always been strong of both body and spirit, but he will always have a scar from this injury and it may take a toll on his mood, but nothing he can’t overcome.  _

_ Elrond is staying here for the time being, should more healing be necessary. Naturally, he sends his love.  _

_ Fili misses you greatly and speaks of you often. I am sorry I missed your wedding, but don’t worry, Bombur and Bofur are already planning a big celebration for your return. I hear there are many things to celebrate and that congratulations are in order. Is there anyone at Edoras to see to your pregnancy? If not, King Théoden must make sure there is, I have already sent him a separate letter. No point in rolling your eyes at me, lass. You are eating enough, I hope?  _

_ We are all excited for your return.  _

_ Be safe, Your Majesty. Give my love to Theo and your brother.  _ _   
_ _ Your dear and loyal friend,  _

_ Óin, son of Gróin  _

_ Chief Medical Adviser of Fili, King of Erebor  _

_ PS Dwalin wants to know if you still like oatmeal cookies?”  _

Maggie finished reading the letter and didn’t even realise she was crying until unexpectedly, Théoden wiped them from her face and smiled warmly at her. 

“I was wrong about you,” Théoden said “You have both heart, compassion and spirit. All qualities for a fine friend, mother and indeed a great queen.” 

“I’m not sure I’ll be a great or hell, even a decent one.” Maggie sniffed as she dried the rest of her tears “I haven’t exactly made great life choices in the past. Dwarrows are a proud people and they’ll expect a lot from me. Not just them but the people of Dale also. They love Fili and I’m just this stranger. I have no idea how to be a leader or a good example. I’m terrified.” 

Something then changed in Théoden’s expression that Maggie hadn’t seen before. He was often so serious that it was rare to see her smile, but this was a gentle expression of an emotion Maggie couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

“I’ll let you in on a secret.” Théoden told her “All monarchs are terrified. Not just sometimes but all the time. I am too. We all carry a burden on our shoulders, but being a king or a queen is not about ruling a land or its people. Nor is it about being a skilled warrior. Our job is to be a beacon of hope and that comes from the light we all carry within ourselves.” 

“What do you do when it feels like that light is about to go out?” Maggie wondered “Doesn’t that mean we’ve given up hope?” 

“No, my dear.” Théoden shook his head “On the contrary, that’s when we fight and the light becomes stronger.”

Somehow, Théoden’s words made sense and strangely enough, Maggie felt a little bit better about everything. 

“Besides, it is clear your people already love you and you will be a fine Queen of Erebor. Should you ever feel doubt or lost along the way, you have one more friend to turn to.” Théoden said “I am however, going to follow Master Óin’s request to have someone make sure you and your baby are alright.” 

Maggie rolled her eyes in jest as Théoden left her to her own company. 

“Fili has recovered?” Came Boromir’s voice behind her “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. You must be relieved.” 

“Yeah, I am.” Maggie agreed “I’m sorry, Boromir. I know this isn’t quite what you signed onto when you joined the Fellowship. I also know you’ve sort of ended up in the middle of all the family drama. We’re not usually like this, things have just been….” 

“Complicated? Don’t worry, Maggie. I know a thing or two about complicated families.” 

“There’s the understatement of the year.” came Riley’s voice.

Maggie recognised the sass in her brother’s tone, but Boromir simply raised an eyebrow. Just like everyone else, Riley looked run-down and fatigued. Maggie knew he missed Bilbo and he worried about how things would be after everything was over. Would Bilbo still set sail to the Grey Havens? If he did, would Riley join him? Or would they perhaps stay in Bag End with Frodo? Bilbo was reaching the end of his lifespan, Maggie knew that much. How would Riley deal with the grief? At least at the Grey Havens, they could live out the rest of their days in peace. 

“You seem to know of my family, Master Riley?” Boromir said “Why am I not surprised? What do you know?”

“Oh, just what I’ve heard from others and what you’ve told me.” Riley lied “I know you have a brother called Faramir, obviously and that your father the Steward is a complicated man but whose family isn’t? I mean, just look at ours - my sister has a habit of getting pregnant mid-war, two of my nephews are having a silent feud, my other nephew is God knows where on a suicide quest and my best friend is being an idiot. We are easily an entire season of Dr Phil.” 

“Who is Dr Phil?” 

“Trust me, you’re better off not knowing.” Maggie chuckled “Aragorn and Theo still aren’t talking, huh?”

Her sons’ feuding worried Maggie. She couldn’t really speak for Theo, but from what she knew of him over the past months, it wasn’t like him to be so resentful. Nor was it like Aragorn to be so petty, yet they both stubbornly held onto the belief that the other was wrong. Despite the fact that Maggie had spoken her mind and that she would stay. They all missed their loved ones and Maggie guessed that Theo was concerned about Nat, while Aragorn definitely longed for Arwen. She hoped that this fight was just a result of the kettle boiling over and that it would pass. 

“Queen Margaret,” Gamling called from across the room. “Your presence is requested in the infirmary.” 

“Yep, I already know this pregnancy is going to annoy the hell out of me.” Maggie sighed as she followed Gamling to the infirmary. “By the way, has anyone seen Felix today?” 

* * *

Felix needed a break. More than that, he needed to breathe. Edoras was beginning to feel crowded with everything going on, as well with the looming tension of war. He felt suffocated in a way he wasn’t used to and he didn’t like how it was affecting him. He knew his friends meant well and that they cared about it, but he’d been pressed with so many questions about what he would do with the Éomer and Legolas situation that it made him anxious. Felix wasn’t an expert on romance, in his twenty-six years, he’d had maybe two long term relationships, one of them with Maggie and another one where he’d initiated the break-up. 

Truthfully, Felix was grateful for the company of Éowyn. She didn’t question his actions or wondered about his choices, she just happily chatted away about other things and Felix got to know a great deal more about her than he ever thought possible. Despite the fact that it had been months, being able to have conversations with people who were his literary heroes was still surreal. It was easy to see why King Théoden, as difficult as he could sometimes be, utterly loved his niece. He was proud of Éowyn and showed it even though she sometimes could not see it. Like all parent-figures could be, the king was overprotective but only because he cared. It was also easy to see, Felix thought, why she would be a strong leader of Rohan. 

It troubled Felix, that he and the others knew the fate of the King but weren’t able to do or say anything that could prevent it. Somehow, Boromir’s life had been spared and certain events were still very much according to the plot. He wondered if there was a greater power up there who decided what was important and what wasn’t. Riley and Maggie both spoke of the Valar as if they were very real beings, but Felix had never believed in a God or deities of any kind. He didn’t like the idea of someone else being in control of  _ his _ fate. Yet, magic also existed in Middle-Earth, which was also something Felix had never believed in and truthfully, he felt powerful in the face of it. 

The thought of magic once again brought Felix’s mind back to Legolas and Éomer. They were two very different people, not just because one of them was an elf and the other human. Éomer was forward, open and confident. He didn’t hide who he was or what he thought about other people. Even with his forwardness, he was also kind and just like his sister, the people of Rohan clearly adored him. 

Legolas was far more reserved, but over the past months he’d proven himself a loyal friend to not only Felix, but the others as well. Both Theo and Aragorn loved him as family and he was protective of Maggie, as though she was his sister. The unavoidable truth however, was that Legolas was an elf and Felix was human. A human from another world who did not belong in this one. Riley and the girl had adjusted well and even though nobody has spoken about it, Felix knew there was a likely chance they would consider staying in Middle-Earth when all this was over. Felix still felt out of place and uncertain what his role in everything was. He was neither a warrior nor a hero, just a poor sod thrown into another world and given a sword to handle. 

How could he have a possible relationship with someone whose lifespan was endless and who was very capable of using such magic? By the time Felix was forty or fifty years old, he would probably have grey hair and achy bones, while Legolas would still look as young as ever. Besides, Felix also knew that Legolas was never meant to have a romantic relationship with anyone. The books told of all the adventures he had with Gimli after the War of the Ring and who was Felix to just jump in and change that? 

Yet, the thought of Legolas filled Felix with a strange flutter in a way that it did not when he was with Éomer. Sure, Éomer was dashing and charming, but it was with Legolas that Felix felt a deeper connection. Especially recently since he started having post-battle nightmares, or Battle Terror as the others called it. Felix dreaded to think what the nightmares would look like after the big fight. 

“Are you running away?” 

A somewhat frustrated sigh escaped Felix’s lips, as he heard Legolas behind him. Obviously the others had been right about him avoiding the two men. Even Boromir had noticed the growing awkwardness and seemed annoyingly amused by it. Truthfully, Felix wished he had Boromir’s bravery and confidence. To be so sure that Laura felt and wanted the same thing he did.    
  
Finally, Felix turned around to Legolas, who stood on a rock. There were a few meters between them and Edoras was visible in the distance. Felix hadn’t wandered too far, he didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to himself. 

“Well, even if I wanted to,” Felix snapped “It seems bloody impossible to have some privacy here.” 

For a brief moment, Legolas furrowed his brows and seemed a bit offended at Felix’s harshness. He said nothing for a few moments and instead studied Felix, who felt a little guilty about his temperament. 

“Why are you here, Legolas?” Felix asked “Because I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to be alone.” 

“It isn’t safe to be alone.” Legolas replied “Saruman’s spies are everywhere.” the elf replied and jumped off the rock he’d been standing on. 

When Legolas approached him, Felix felt his heart skip several beats and a few seconds later, the blonde princeling stood but a few inches away. There was no doubt in Felix’s mind that Legolas could hear his heartbeat. 

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” Legolas wondered “You have been avoiding me lately.” 

“ _ I’ve _ been avoiding  _ you _ ?” Felix said “Seriously? Legolas, whenever you walk into the same room as Éomer, it’s filled with jealousy you could slice through with a kitchen knife! You haven’t exactly been the easiest to talk to lately, so yes, I’ve been avoiding you.” 

“You think I’m jealous because you kissed Éomer? Who you choose to be intimate with is none of my business. ” 

A slight chuckle escaped Legolas’ lips, but Felix wondered if it wasn’t some kind of defence mechanism for how the elf was actually feeling. 

“I wasn’t intimate with Éomer, ‘Las.” Felix said “I was drunk and we kissed yes, but as soon as it happened I knew I regretted it.” 

“Why did you regret it?” 

A new expression appeared on Legolas’ face and Felix swore it was a mix between hope, surprise and relieve. Until that moment, Felix had been afraid to let himself feel too much because all he wanted when all this was over, was to go home. He’d been certain he wanted to go back to his old life, his job, his friends and his familiar routines. For the past few months, he had missed life without magic or wizards or orcs. But now that he was used to it and these strange feelings began to make themselves known to him, Felix wasn’t so sure he wanted to go home. That was a thought that scared him more than all the other things. 

“I regretted it because---” 

In his head, Felix had the words all figured out but before he could say anything. He felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder, followed by a strange sensation of heat rushing through his body, almost like tiny electric shocks. His vision immediately began to blur and his weight gave way. Somewhere in the distance, he heard Legolas calling out to him before everything turned dark and the world around him faded away.

**_To be continued………._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix has been shot with an arrow! Is it poisonous? Will he survive through it? It wasn’t a particularly interesting chapter, I know but let me know what you think with a comment or kudos! 


	17. Rising Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N** : I know things are going a bit slow right now and my motivation for writing has been a bit so-so with everything lately but I’m keeping this going because I like these characters and I have things planned for the future. If you’re still with me, thank you! Also hello to new readers, I saw I had some new kudos so thank you for that! Glad you’ve found your way here! 

**Chapter Seventeen**

_ Rising Tension  _

Laura couldn't decide what was worse about the whole situation; the fact that she was slowly beginning to realise they'd been led into a trap or the fact that despite this they had to continue. There was no turning back now and as she looked at Frodo, she knew that the hobbit was also aware of their impending doom. The cave was damp, dark and cold. Not to mention that it definitely felt a bit like entering a villain's lair, except Laura had no idea of who or what they were expecting. She stayed close to Frodo and grabbed his hand, which he squeezed reassuringly. Laura missed Sam and worried for his safety. She missed Boromir and longed to be back in the warmth and comfort of his arms. She missed Maggie, Nat, Felix and Riley and hoped beyond anything that they nothing bad had happened to him. It had been so long since they all saw each other, that a part of Laura couldn’t help but wonder if things would be different by the time they were reunited. 

If they were reunited. 

_ No _ , Laura shook her head,  _ you can’t think like that.  _

The truth was, Laura had slowly begun to realise that there was a very real possibility that she might not make it out of this alive. This quest was far more dangerous that she had assumed and Middle-Earth was not at all like she had imagined. Laura also wondered how different her experience was from the others who had grown up reading about this world and knew it so well. 

Ever since joining Frodo and Sam after the fellowship had parted ways, she knew she had changed. For one thing, she was much braver than she ever thought possible. A few months ago, she would never for a second have believed that she would go on her own adventure with two hobbits to destroy the most powerful weapon in Middle-Earth. 

Looking back at life as it was a few months ago was so surreal. In general, Laura was mostly happy with her life, but she’d always felt as if something was missing that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She’d always assumed it was just some sort of quarter-life crisis, but now she understood that what she’d been missing was a sense of belonging. Strangely enough, she’d found that in Middle-Earth. Despite being terrified of all the possibilities that came with this quest, there was not a single doubt in Laura’s mind that her place was with Frodo and Sam. That’s why Galadriel had shown her the mirror and not the others. 

"We'll be alright Laura." Frodo assured her, but honestly she wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure, Laura or himself.

"Ugh, what's that smell?" Laura asked as she covered her nose. It was a pungent stench and the immediate thought that hit Laura was that something in here had died. 

"Orcses filth." Gollum hissed while grinning. "Orcses come in here sometimes. Hurry! This way!" Gollum led them onwards through the cave and Laura couldn't help but to feel more and more afraid. 

"UGH! WHAT THE--!!!" Laura found herself stuck in something sticky and slimy and when she managed to get out of it she realised it was cobweb. Massive cobweb.  _ Where the hell are we?  _ She thought. She heard Frodo crying out loudly and as she ran ahead she saw that the ringbearer had got stuck in cobweb too.

"It's sticky!" said Frodo "What is it?"

"You'll see," Gollum replied in the distance but they couldn't actually see where he was. Frodo turned around to Laura as to make sure that she was alright and they both carried on; both of them realising that this had been a very, very bad idea.

"I don't like this Frodo," Laura whispered, "I don't like this at all." The path got narrower as they went on and there were things stuck in the cobweb that made them both wonder what kind lived in the cave. Laura tried not to look down as she heard the sound of bones cracking beneath her feet; all she wanted was to get out of that cave.

Frodo suddenly stopped and listened for a while with a worried expression on his face.

"Laura, run. Go."

"No! I can't leave you Frodo; I'm not going to leave you." The noise Laura heard behind them was something she would never be able to forget and something that would haunt her dreams for a very long time to come. She didn't want to turn around and look at the creature; the spider behind them. Instead; she looked Frodo in the eyes and did as she had been told; she ran and hid. Laura could never really recall what happened next because it all happened so quickly. She caught glimpses of the massive spider from where she was hiding and swore that she would never complain about the English house spiders again. As she heard Frodo getting up and running, Laura ran too, parallel to him but still tried to keep out of sight of the spider. The tunnels split into two and because of that Laura and Frodo got separated.

"Naughty little fly, why does he cry?" she heard Gollum singing to himself and it pissed her off that he sounded so very gleeful and pleased about it all. As if everything had gone exactly according to plan.  _ When I get my hands on the slimy little bugger,  _ she thought to herself. She could hear the spider crawling in the tunnel and she could hear Frodo panting loudly but she couldn't see what was going on. As soon as she heard him running again she ran after him and finally saw the opening at the end of the tunnel but Laura stopped again when she saw Frodo in confrontation with Gollum and stayed hidden.

"Frodo—" Laura was about to scream but then felt a hand cover her mouth and when she turned around to see none other than Sam, she greeted her friend with a much welcomed hug. The peace didn't last long enough though.

"Sam!" Laura whispered as she saw the spider again. Sam grabbed her and with Sting glowing bright blue in the other they walked up to the spider.

"Let him go you filth! You will not touch him again! Come on and finish it!"

The spider wasn't afraid but then neither was Sam. Laura ran up to Frodo whom was wrapped in the spider's web. The spider was so keen on getting rid of Sam that it didn't seem to notice Laura at all and when Laura turned around she heard the spider give a cry of pain and then seemingly fall unconscious.

Sam had killed it.

"Samwise the Brave indeed," she said and couldn't help but to let out a sigh of relief.

"I wouldn't cheer just yet," Sam said "We've got company." And Laura realised he was right as she saw Sting glowing blue again.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire." she mumbled and got back up on her feet, preparing for the next obstacle. 

* * *

Meriadoc Brandybuck felt sorely out of place. He wondered what his family and friends back in the Shire would say if they saw him now; a hobbit fighting a war for the race of men. Up until now, Merry had loved the adventure of it all and thought himself quite the brave hobbit. He could think of quite a few hobbit-lasses who would enjoy one or two of his tales upon return to the Shire. Without his friends by his side though, the world suddenly felt far too wide and frightening for a young hobbit. He worried deeply about Frodo and Sam on their way to Mordor, facing danger he couldn’t even begin to imagine. Then there was Pippin, the daft fool, who just had to stare into the heart of the Palantir and get both him and Nat into trouble. Pippin had never done anything alone and had always been by Merry’s side throughout their whole lives. He was more than his best friend, Pippin was his brother. If anything happened to him while they were apart, Merry wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to forgive himself. 

Strangely enough, even though Merry felt out of place as the smallest member of the group, he still felt as if he was supposed to be there. Nobody treated him differently for “just” being a hobbit but as a part of something important. That sense of destiny was something else that scared Merry because he didn’t quite understand it. How could his simple life in the Shire have led to him being there in that particular moment? Why were he and the other hobbits part of this Fellowship that he knew would come to rewrite the history of Middle-Earth. 

He knew there were more things at work than the others mentioned because he heard Riley and Maggie talking. That’s the thing about being a hobbit that the Big Folk sometimes forgot about; few things escaped their ears. While Merry didn’t understand the purpose of everything, he knew that Maggie and the others being here had changed things. For starters, Boromir being alive was something that had shaken all of them to their core because apparently it meant someone else had to die. Merry wasn’t sure he believed in prophecies, because he liked to think that each and every person made their own luck in the world. Yet, he saw the fear in all of their eyes, even though they tried their best to hide it. 

Merry couldn’t help but wonder if Pippin was also afraid? He had no doubt in his heart or mind that both Nat and Gandalf were looking after him. It was just weird for the two of them to be apart, especially after everything they had been through with Treebeard and Riley. In some way, Merry had always felt responsible for Pippin as though he was his younger brother. Throughout their lives, Merry had always taken it upon himself to look after Pippin and to make sure he stayed out of trouble (that wasn’t purposely caused by him). They weren’t brothers by blood but they were brothers nonetheless. That’s why Merry also felt a strange sadness in his heart when he heard the argument between Aragorn and Theo. Just like he and Pippin, Theo and Aragorn weren’t brothers by blood but they were chosen family and had grown up as such. Ever since they’d met the two back at the Prancing Pony, it had become clear that they loved each other and their bond was strong. It was only after meeting Maggie and Riley that Pippin truly understood why. 

The concept of a world beyond the one he had been born and raised in was strange, yet Maggie, Riley, Felix, Nat and Laura were all living proof of such a world. There was still a lot that Merry didn’t understand, such as the relationship between Maggie, Fili and Elrond but Merry had never really known love in his life so who was he to judge? Then there was the story of Riley and Bilbo, which he had grown up hearing about, but never really believed in until recently of course. In the Shire, it was highly unusual for a man to love another man. 

It was unheard of to marry someone who wasn’t a hobbit either and most other Shirefolk just thought that Bilbo had gone a little loopy after his adventures with the dwarves and the wizard, which was to be expected really. Merry had heard the story about Riley from Frodo but when Bilbo was asked about it, he wouldn’t say much at all. After seeing Riley and Bilbo together in Rivendell, Merry’s heart was breaking for them because of how much time had passed and how much Bilbo had aged. After spending so much time with Riley during their own little side-quest with Treebeard, it became clear to Merry why Bilbo had fallen in love with him in the first place. 

In an attempt to keep himself busy and stay out of the way of the others, Merry had spent the past couple of days helping Éowyn with all the preparations for their Dunharrows departure. The Lady Éowyn was one of the most beautiful women Merry had ever met and the fact that she called him a friend was something nobody at home would ever believe. Èowyn had sent Merry on to fetch some linens to pack for bedding supplies, when he came across Theo sitting outside, playing a soft melody on a small harp. 

“I didn’t know you could play.” Merry said, mesmerized by the gentle metallic sound made by the strings. “Who taught you?” 

“Fili did, when I was younger.” Theo replied “It was my father’s harp. Apparently he was rather good at both playing and composing music.” 

In the months that Merry had known Theo, he had never spoken about his father and Merry never asked. Pippin was more curious but even he realised that it was a private matter. After meeting Maggie and the others, Merry began to understand why. It was still strange to him that Maggie was young enough to be  _ Theo’s  _ daughter or even granddaughter and not the other way around. 

“You mean Thorin?” Merry said carefully, as if speaking Thorin’s name would somehow invoke his presence. “Do you miss him?” 

“I don’t have any memories of him for he died before I was born.” Theo explained “Although, I do sometimes recall a gentle humming, a melody that I think he used to sing when I was still in mother’s womb. I don’t know how it’s possible to remember something so intimate from before you were born, but stranger things have happened.” 

Theo stopped playing the harp and put it down beside him. Instead, he reached inside his pocket for a hand carved pipe which he lit. So much of Merry’s world had changed since leaving the Shire. Before his arrival in Rivendell, he’d never met elves or dwarves before. Occasionally, he’d seen Big Folk but never exchanged more than two words with them. Merry had certainly never met someone who was half dwarf/half-human. As far as appearance was concerned, Theo looked more human than dwarf. He was taller than most dwarves for instance, but he wasn’t as tall as the ordinary human. 

His ears were slightly pointed, just like that of both dwarves, elves and hobbits. There was definitely a family resemblance between him, Maggie and Riley. They all had the same dark and curly hair, except Theo’s eyes were icy-blue. The dwarrow part of Theo came out in his personality, Merry thought. Or at least from the little he’d observed and heard about dwarves. Theo was fiercely loyal and incredibly possessive of those he loved, which included his mother and as of late, Natalie. He had a quick temper and was easily angered, but it also blew over quickly enough. Above all though, Merry had come to know Theo as a kind man and a good friend. 

“As a young boy, I would sometimes get extremely jealous of Aragorn because he had more shared memories with my mother than I do. Even now, I still feel that jealousy because they have a closer connection. I know it’s silly because I wasn’t even born but she is my mother and I was robbed of my childhood with her.” Theo explained “Now that she is here, I will do everything in my power to keep her safe and keep her here. I don’t want to lose her again, why can’t he understand that? It was always Aragorn’s destiny to grow up in Rivendell and be raised by the elves. My place was supposed to be in Erebor by my mother and father’s side. I know that Fili never wanted the crown, but he took it anyway to protect my place as its heir.” 

They fell silent for a while as Merry tried to understand what Theo told him. Growing up in the Shire, there was never a need to worry about things such as destiny or kingdoms. Hobbit life was simple, enjoyable and peaceful. It was filled with pints at the Green Dragon, Old Toby and mischief. It was always someone’s birthday, which meant you got a present literally every day of the week. Merry couldn’t even begin to imagine the burden that came with inheriting an entire kingdom from a father you’d never known. 

“Pippin and I fight sometimes.” Merry said “About stupid things too, he always gets himself into trouble because he acts too quickly.” 

“What’s your point, Master Merry?” Theo asked 

“That’s what brothers do, isn’t it? Fight about daft, meaningless things. Look, I can’t claim to know about your family or the lives of kings and queens, I’m just a Brandybuck. I do know something about chosen families, though. Any fool with two eyes can see that Aragorn loves you and would do anything for you. That’s what brothers do, even though we’re sometimes bad at showing it.”

“You think I’ve been too harsh with Aragorn?” 

Merry chuckled as he also lit his own pipe. Having a smoke without Pippin felt strange, but he was glad for the company nonetheless. 

“A little maybe.” Merry replied “You both mean well and you both want to protect Maggie, but she strikes me as a woman who needs no protect--” 

Merry stopped talking mid-sentence when the sound of horse hooves reached his hairy ears. He could tell that Theo had also heard it and a short moment later, they both saw Legolas approaching on a horse, with Felix behind him with dark blood leaking from an arrow wound. 

“Theo!” Legolas shouted “I need a healer! Get Aragorn! Quick!” 

Legolas didn’t have to ask twice because mere seconds later, Theo ran inside to find his brother, the closest healer he knew. 

* * *

Riley’s heart was beating out of his chest.

The moment he heard Legolas shouting for Aragorn, he knew something was wrong. Felix hadn’t been around for most of that day and even though Riley knew his best friend was more than capable of looking after himself, these were dangerous times in Middle-Earth. If he’d learned one thing on their journey, it was that the enemy’s spies were literally everywhere and that you couldn’t be too careful. His sister thought he was being too overprotective of their friends, which was partly true. Riley also knew that if he could somehow go back in time and give himself advice during their first time in Middle-Earth, there were a few things he knew he’d done differently. 

“Jesus Christ, ‘Las! What the  _ fuck  _ happened?” Riley asked frantically when he saw Legolas carrying Felix over his shoulders. 

“An archer.” Legolas replied as he carefully placed Felix on a mattress in the infirmary. “An orc spy of Saruman.”

Riley heard the rage in Legolas’ voice. Only once before had he heard the same rage and that was a long time ago, but under similar circumstances. History, it seemed, had an uncanny ability to repeat itself in ways that Riley wasn’t entirely comfortable with. The sound of Felix groaning with pain tugged at Riley’s heart and he knelt down on the bed beside his friend. A few moments later, he saw Aragorn arrive with both Theo and his sister in tow. Legolas said something to Aragorn in Elvish and immediately set to work, trying to heal Felix’s wound. 

“Uncle, I need you to hold press down Felix’s right shoulder.” Aragorn said, “As much as you can, this will hurt.” 

Aragorn grabbed hold of the black arrow and Riley did as he was told. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen blood or gruesome wounds, but seeing it in Felix made it difficult. So, when Aragorn counted down from three and pulled out the arrow, Riley looked away. He met his sister’s eyes and then behind her, he saw Éomer and knew immediately that trouble was brewing. 

“Keep him still!” Aragorn commanded, “I can’t bind his wounds otherwise.” 

Riley watched as the ranger placed his hand on Felix’s forehead and mumbled some kind of healing incantation in Elvish. After a few moments, Felix stopped groaning and eventually lay completely still. Aragorn soaked some cloth in the warm water Maggie had brought in with her and used it to clean Felix’s wound. 

“What happened to the archer?” Éomer asked as he turned to Legolas. “Did you kill him?” 

“Killing it was not my priority.” Legolas replied, 

“I’m going after it!” 

Eomer turned on his heels but Legolas stopped him; something that the horse-master did not like. 

“It will be long gone by now and you have no chance at catching it!” Legolas hissed

Legolas had a point, Riley knew. If it was an orc archer, he would be far away on a warg by now. He could have chosen to attack Legolas, but at a guess, Riley figured it was more of a scouting mission than anything. If that was the case, his master would not be happy that he was discovered and would likely be dead by now anyway. Orcs had a tendency to be unforgiving in nature. 

“Uh, guys.” Riley said 

“Or he could be telling his master about our plans.” Èomer hissed as he removed Legolas hand from his chest “I thought elves had heightened senses! You could have killed him or at least seen him coming.” 

“And then what?” Legolas snapped “Should I have left Felix to die? Would you have been able to do better, Horse Master? If you care so much about him, where have you been through the Battle Terrors? Or were you just after a simple kiss to prove a point?” 

“Umm….hello?” Riley tried to intervene but to no avail. 

“You’re questioning my intentions and honour,  _ Elf _ ?” Éomer asked “I would watch those words if I were you, Prince Legolas.” 

“ _SHUT_ _UP_!” 

The room fell silent at Riley’s bellowing. At first, he’d found Legolas and Éomer’s feuding over Felix a bit endearing. The two of them weren’t exactly known for showing their emotions so easily, but Felix seemed to have stirred something in both of them. It also reminded Riley of how infuriating Elrond and Thorin had been all those years ago when it came to Maggie. 

“You know what, Drake and Josh! This ends now! In case you haven’t noticed, we are in the middle of a  _ war _ ! There is literally no time for bickering! Yes, you both fancy Felix, but he’s not something you can just claim as a prize or try to win over! He is a human being of flesh and blood, perfectly capable of making his own choice of who or whom not to be with. Frankly, right now, I don’t think either of you deserve him and you should both be ashamed of yourselves!” Riley snapped and stood up “Seriously! My best friend is fucking  _ dying  _ and if neither of you are going to help then get the hell out of here.”   


“He is right, “Aragorn agreed, in a much calmer manner, “It is too crowded in here. Right now, I only need Theo and Riley.” 

Éomer was about to protest but changed his mind and stormed out, followed by Legolas. Maggie met his glance and even though she only raised an eyebrow, Riley knew exactly what his sister meant. 

It was a wonder Théoden hadn’t already kicked them all out of Edoras. 

* * *

“Here, I thought you could do with a drink that isn’t water.” 

Nat stood leaning against the battlement, looking out over Pelennor Fields. She tried to not look in the direction of Mordor because she was scared it might draw Sauron’s attention to them. Something that had become much clearer over the past few months, was how much she had underestimated Sauron’s power. Growing up and reading the books as a child, Nat had been scared of Sauron like anyone else. But, just like with any book, the monsters went away as soon as you closed the pages. Actually being in Middle-Earth had made Nat realise how real Sauron was and how terrified she was. Seeing all the destruction and death was an eye opener and all the magic somehow made Nat feel incredibly small. Until now, she’d been safe with the others but now, it was just her and Pippin. 

Sure enough, they had Gandalf to look after them and being in Minas Tirith, it also meant that Amandil was there. Since arriving in Minas Tirith, Pippin had also been very sweet towards Nat and always asked if she wanted or needed anything. She knew Pippin felt guilty about dragging her into his troubles, but strangely enough, Nat also felt as though she was supposed to be in Minas Tirith. As much as she hated being away from the others, she just knew that this was her place. 

“Thank you, what is it?” Nat grabbed the brass tankard from Faramir who stood next to her. She carefully sniffed the content and deduced it was some kind of ale, which she gladly drank. Faramir must have noticed her wince and chuckled. The alcohol in Middle-Earth was definitely stronger than what she was used to. 

“The pride of Gondor, our own ale, brewed within the walls of this very city and exported across Middle-Earth.” Faramir explained “A bit strong to the taste if you’re not used to it, but it does the job.” 

“Yeah no kidding,” Nat said but after a second gulp she found the taste more pleasant. “How did it go with your father?” 

Faramir’s face suddenly fell and Nat could guess the answer. After speaking with Gandalf and learning that Boromir was indeed alive, Faramir had decided to approach his father. However, Lord Denethor was a man deep in his own paranoia and delusion and didn’t really see the outside world as everyone else did. Nat had only met the man once but that was more than enough because the steward deeply unsettled her. 

“Not that good, huh?” Nat asked “What did he say?” 

“My father does not believe that Boromir is alive.” Faramir replied “He is fixated on the broken horn and will not listen to reason. I fear he will not believe anyone until Boromir himself walks through those doors. Even then, there is a chance father might think he is a ghost.” 

They fell silent for a while and Nat breathed in and out slowly. Her mind drifted to Theo and wondered what he was doing at that moment. Did he miss her? Maggie had told her that dwarrow had something called their “One” which in human terms would be a “soulmate”. Once they’d found their One and committed to them, they loved that person for life. It scared Nat a little because up until that point, she had never met anyone she thought she would or could feel that way about it. 

“My father wants me to ride out with my men to recapture Osgiliath.” Faramir said 

Nat snapped out of her own thoughts and turned to Faramir. In the back of her mind, she’d known what would happen to Faramir but she thought that because Boromir is alive, it would change the outcome of other things. 

“What? No….Faramir, you can’t do that.” Nat told him “That’s a suicide mission and your father knows that. You guys are way,  _ way  _ outnumbered. Denethor is not in his right mind.” 

“You seem to know a lot about the workings of my father’s mind.” Faramir said “How is it you know so much about my family?” 

“I…..I can’t tell you that, but you have to believe me, Faramir. You  _ cannot  _ listen to your father! It will not end well for anyone and it won’t help you gain the favour of your father!” 

“Yet it seems like I am left with no choice. If Boromir was here, he would have heeded my father’s word without a doubt. What kind of son am I if I don’t at least try to be half the man my brother is. We ride out at dawn, do not try to stop me.” 

Faramir exhaled a sigh as he pulled himself up off his feet and left Nat with a horrible feeling in her stomach. She needed to find Amandil and Gandalf. If she could change one thing then she would do everything in her power to at least try. 

Faramir deserved at least that much. 

* * *

“So, I'm guessing you have some sort of a cunning master plan right?"

Laura and Sam stood still at the bottom of a long, winding staircase, carefully listening to the orcs arguing amongst themselves about what to keep and what to throw away of Frodo's things. They'd followed them from the cave to the tower where they had taken Frodo and were waiting for the right moment to strike them, except the right moment never seemed to come. The argument grew louder and more violent until it suddenly died out and footsteps walked down the stairs. Sam looked at Laura and without a word of warning, with Sting in his hand he walked forward, growling loudly like he was pretending to be some sort of dragon or otherwise larger creature and Laura hoped it would work.

Halfway up the stairs however, they were met by three orcs although it didn't seem to frighten Sam in the least.

"That's for Frodo!" Sam stabbed the first orc through the chest. "That's for the Shire!" The second orc flew head first off the stairs and landed dead at the bottom of it. "And that's for my old Gaffer!" the third and last orc had its throat slit and soon lay dead on the ground.

"Samwise Gamgee, you never cease to amaze me." Laura said and Sam smiled at her. They followed the stairs up to the very top of the tower and stopped when they heard yet another voice speaking.

"I'm going to bleed you like a stuck pig!" hissed the orc in front of them as he aimed his blade towards Frodo. That was the only thing he was able to say because, much to Frodo's surprise, Sam stabbed him first and the orc fell lifeless to the floor.

"Sam!" Frodo sounded like he couldn't decide whether he was more happy or surprised to see his guide. "Oh Sam I'm so sorry!" said the hobbit and then he looked at Laura. "Will you forgive me also?"

"Frodo, you have nothing to apologise for." Laura told him.

Sam bent down and untied the ropes around Frodo's wrist and the first thing he did was to check for his ring but when he couldn't find it, a look of panic spread across his face.

"They've taken the ring!" Frodo told them

Sam shook his head. "Begging your pardon but they haven't." He reached inside his pocket and held out the ring like it was no big deal at all. Frodo had a sceptical look in his eyes when he stared at Sam and just for a moment there was something in his eyes that Laura didn't like. She jumped a little when Frodo suddenly snatched the ring off Sam and quickly put it around his own neck again.

"You must understand," Frodo said "The ring is my burden. It will destroy you Sam."

Sam looked at Frodo and for a moment there was silence until Sam seemed to shrug it off just like nothing had happened at all.

"Come on Mr. Frodo. We best find you some clothes. You can't walk through Mordor in naught but your skin."

At that comment, Laura couldn't help but to grin a little. Frodo got back up on his feet and eventually they found some clothes but just as they started heading out of the tower, Laura suddenly stopped. She couldn't explain it, but there was a feeling in her, something that told her that something had happened. She shivered, hoping it was just her own paranoia.

"Laura, what is it?" Frodo asked worriedly

Laura snapped out of her thoughts and turned around to her two friends waiting for her by the stairs.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." she told them.

But something inside her, something more than instinct, told her that something was wrong .

**_To be continued...._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it! A slightly longer chapter than previous few! If you liked it, leave a kudos or a comment!


	18. Nat's Bravery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In witch Nat hatches a plan.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Another update which once again took ages, I’m so sorry dear reader! Life is crazy right now and this past week has been tough. A family member died and things have just not been going well. But I’m not giving up on this fic and I hope you’re not either. If you’re still reading, leave a kudos or let me know. This fic is also going at a slightly slower pace than I originally planned, but on the other hand, I’m getting a chance at really expanding these characters and delving deeper into the story. If you’d like to see any other POVs let me know which ones in the comments! Finally, I’ve changed the timeline of Faramir’s sacrifice briefly, but not too much. I hope you guys will enjoy it! 

**Chapter Eighteen**

_ Nat’s Bravery  _

No matter how much Nat tried, she could not sleep that night. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Faramir and the fate that would befall him if she didn’t do anything. She knew that Gandalf had advised them against sharing details about what they knew but what was the point of their presence in Middle-Earth if they couldn’t change things? She couldn’t believe that Denethor would just let his son march right into certain death. Why wouldn’t he listen when they told him Boromir was alive? What would it take for him to snap out of his own delusion. Nat couldn’t help but feel like this is why she was in Minas Tirith. Not just because Pippin had looked into the Palantir, but because this was her own personal mission. 

When the early rays of sunlight peered through the window of her bed chamber, Nat couldn’t stand it anymore. She got out of bed, got dressed and headed outside. She needed to find Amandil because if there was anyone who could help her, it was him. She’d been given a small bedchamber in the Hall of Kings and when she walked down the long stone corridors, Nat felt uneasy. Minas Tirith didn’t have the same vibe as Edoras did. Compared to the Golden Hall of Théoden, the City of Kings felt like a dying city. No doubt because of Denethor’s reign, or lack of it. Nat hoped that when Aragorn did take the throne, assuming things went well, the city would regain its former glory. A couple of guards pointed her in the direction of Amandil’s quarters and when the door opened, she was unsurprised to find Gandalf already there. 

“Nat? Whatever’s the matter?” Amandil asked “You look dreadful.”

“Uncle Al, sorry I know it’s early…” Nat replied “It’s about Faramir. He’s planning on riding out to retake Osgiliath! If he does, he’ll get injured and his father will try to burn him alive.” 

Gandalf’s eyes widened and the wizard walked up to Nat, putting a hand on her shoulder and stared right into her brown eyes. 

“You’re sure?” Gandalf asked “Lord Denethor’s mind is not as strong as it once was, but sending his own son to death willingly.”   


“I’m certain!” Nat replied “Look, I know I’m not supposed to tell you this, but in the Return of the King, Denethor has been driven mad by the use of the Gondor palantir. He is also so grief-stricken by the loss of Boromir that he blames Faramir for it. Faramir, who is also dealing with the same grief sees no other choice but to do his father’s bidding. In the end, Faramir is injured so badly that Denethor thinks he’s dead and decides to burn his body, but it turns out Faramir is actually still alive. Pippin is the one who saves him.” 

Gandalf turned to Amandil who nodded. In fact, Nat remembered very clearly when Amandil used to read the Return of the King during sleepovers at Maggie and Riley’s house. Even though he wasn’t her biological uncle, she still saw him as such. If Nat herself couldn’t convince Gandalf about what was to happen, then Amandil surely would. An overwhelming sense of hopelessness bubbled inside Nat’s gut and she felt tears form in her eyes. Obviously she knew that Faramir didn’t die in the books, but why would he have to suffer if they could stop it? Just as the first tear drops began to stream down Nat’s cheek, the first rays of sunshine peered through the windows of the King’s Hall. Gandalf put his hand on Nat’s shoulder, in that comfortable way the wizard always did when somebody was in need of reassurance. 

“We are not going to let Faramir come to harm,” said the wizard “But we must hurry! Come! Time is not on our side!” 

“We will be right behind you, Gandalf.” Amandil said and as the White Wizard left, Amandil turned to Nat. “You know he will still ride out, Gandalf won’t be able to stop him.”

“I know, but I have an idea.” Nat said “You’re not going to like it, but I think it’s what I have to do and why I’m here.”

Amandil nodded. “Do what you have to do. I’ll see if I can try and talk to Faramir.” 

Nat and Amandil both headed out of the King’s Hall, but where Amandil followed in steps of the wizard, Nat ran towards the stables. Her plan was insane and if the others were there, they’d probably try to stop her, but she knew it was what she had to do. If they couldn’t stop Faramir from riding out to battle, then at least she was going to make sure that he wasn’t alone. Just as Faramir had said, the riders were marching out of the city. A long parade of soldiers on horseback, citizens of Minas Tirith in a line along the streets, casting out flowers and wearing head scarfs as if they were mourning. Pippin was nowhere to be seen, but Nat assumed the young hobbit might be with Lord Steward, happily hiding away in his throne-room while his son was prepared to die for him. It filled Nat with such rage that her hand trembled when she clenched her fist. Denethor had already decided that nobody would ever be as good as Boromir and no matter how much Faramir tried, it still wouldn’t be good enough. Nat knew exactly what that felt like because she had been in his positions. As the youngest sibling of her family, it was always up to her to follow in the footsteps of her brother and sisters. 

Their accomplishments were always bragged about at family gatherings and dinner parties, whereas Nat’s own dreams and goals were discarded as the flights of fancy of a child. Her parents never believed she would actually fulfill her dream of becoming a police officer and thought it wasn’t really a career a young woman should aim for. Being a lawyer or a doctor or something with a high status in society was what you needed to aim for. It worked for her siblings, so why not for her? Nat loved her family of course, but she had always felt out of place amongst them. She always wondered how it was that her mum and dad got on so well with Maggie and Riley’s parents because truthfully they couldn’t be more different.

Her siblings, Adam and Tess, had never been as close to Maggie and Riley as Nat was. It was mainly due to the age difference but also because they were so different in personality. When she was young, Nat often found herself in envy of the relationship Maggie and Riley had as siblings. They were each other’s best friends and while they certainly argued from time to time, they still loved each other and there was nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. Even face death, which was something that had become abundantly clear since their arrival in Middle-Earth. 

Nat had always loved Felix, Riley, Maggie and Laura. She had always seen them as her family even if they weren’t related by blood. However, it was only since arriving in Middle-Earth that Nat truly began to understand the meaning of that bond. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for them and she knew they all felt the same. Ever since meeting Theo, something else had also sparked inside her. A longing and a sense of belonging she had never experienced before. A feeling that both terrified and excited her.

Nat snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the wizard calling out to Faramir, pushing his way through the crowds. A part of her wanted to stop and go to him but that wasn’t the plan. The brown mare she had been riding from Edoras was already saddled. Nat gently stroked her soft muzzle and leaned her head against the horse, whose name was Alvis. As Nat mounted Alvis, she huffed excitedly and Nat felt her own heart beating ever-so-quickly as she rode out of the stables. 

“Where does my allegiance lie if not here?” Faramir’s voice echoed through the gates of Minas Tirith. “This is the city of the men of Numénor. I will gladly give my life to defend her beauty. Her memory, wisdom….” 

Then, Amandil pushed through the crowds and stopped right in front of Faramir, who halted his horse. 

“Listen to me Faramir!” said Amandil, his voice kind but sharp at the same time. “Long years have I known you and your brother! I have watched you grow up to become a _fine_ man and a good, strong leader! A man any father would be _proud_ to call his son! _I_ _am_ a man of Numénor and so are my children! My eldest son founded _this_ kingdom and I know for certain that what has befallen it under the rule of Lord Denethor, was not his wish!” 

“Your father loves you, Faramir.” Gandalf said “He will remember it before the end.” 

Gandalf’s voices faded in the background and as Faramir and the riders approached the gates of Minas Tirith, Nat was already there, mounted on top of Alvis. Faramir’s face went from emotionless to confused and then turned pale with fear. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Faramir asked “You cannot stop me, I have made up my mind.” 

“I am not planning on stopping you, Faramir.” Nat replied “I’m going to fight with you. I know what it’s like to be the younger sibling, continuously berated for not being as good as my brother and sister. I know what that does to your confidence and self-esteem. No matter how hard you try or how much you sacrifice, you’re still not good enough for them and it breaks not only your heart, but your soul because they will never understand you. I also know that Boromir loves you very dearly and he talks about you all the time. I am not about to let you throw your life away because of your father because if I’ve learned something recently, it is that you have the power to choose your family. Because no matter what you believe right now, I can guarantee you that you have friends on your side. Friends who are willing to fight and die by your side.” 

“You barely know me, yet you speak as if you have for a long time. Strangely, I feel compelled to believe you and I cannot explain why. However, I can’t guarantee your safety.” 

“You don’t need to. Now, shall we go kill some orcs?” 

Faramir nodded and as the gates of Minas Tirith opened before them, Nat cast a glance towards Gandalf and Amandil who both nodded at her. Nat would be lying if she said she wasn’t terrified but in her heart, she knew that this was the right thing to do. 

* * *

“You need to sleep, Ri.” 

“How can I sleep when my best friend nearly died because of me?”

Riley hadn’t been able to eat all day. The guilt he felt from the attempt on Felix’s life made him nauseated and he hadn’t left Felix’s side all day. After Aragorn healed him, Felix had fallen into a deep sleep and would wake up when his body was ready. Usually, orc arrows were dipped in poison but this one hadn’t been. According to Boromir, it meant that the shot was probably fired as a warning rather than with the intent to kill. The orcs wanted to let them know that they were always being watched and the message had been received loud and clear. 

“It’s not your fault.” Maggie said as she sat down next to Riley and squeezed his shoulder. She had a hot cup of tea with her and placed it in her brother’s hand. “This is nobody’s fault.” 

“Isn’t it, though?” Riley asked “ _ We’re _ the ones who have been in this world before and we know what lurks out there. We hid this from them for a year and they’ve had to just adapt to it whereas we had time, Mags. A lot of time. Yet, we’ve been too self-absorbed by our own petty family drama, which by the way is getting ridiculous even for us, to warn the others.”

Maggie silenced for a while, the way she always did when a point had hit home. Somehow, for some reason, the Valar had decided that the five of them were the ones supposed to fight this war. Considering their family and heritage, it made sense to Riley why he and Maggie were a part of it. The other three, though, he wasn’t sure. Was it because they were all bonded as family and there was some greater purpose none of them could understand? By all intents and purposes, Middle-Earth was his and Maggie’s home and there was no escaping that. They had family there; Riley had Bilbo and Frodo and Maggie had her sons as well as Fili and Elrond. It was clear to the eldest Spencer that their part in the story had been written long ago, but it didn’t have to be for the others. 

Should they survive the war, Riley knew that he and Maggie would both stay. Against all odds however, it seemed like their friends had also begun to build something of a life for themselves in Middle-Earth. Laura had her relationship with Boromir and Riley had no doubt that once they were reunited, they would get married. Nat and Theo had also formed a bond, even though Nat was reluctant to admit it at first. Then there was Felix whose heart was struggling in a tug-of-war between two men. Riley was still infuriated with Legolas and Éomer for how they handled their emotions. 

“Once upon a time we also had to adapt. I mean, come on, my first experience with Middle-Earth was having trolls deciding how to cook me for dinner” Maggie said “There’s no manual on how to handle life here, you just have to go with it. Felix knows that and so does Laura and Nat.” 

“I just can’t help but feel we’ve kept them in the shadows and then dragged them into our mess. We have a life here in Middle-Earth and we have family, but these guys, their life is back on Earth. We can’t ask them to sacrifice that for this, no matter what some bloody prophecy says.”

“Geesh, you guys are always so sodding melodramatic, you do realise that not everything is about you?” 

Riley’s eyes instantly widened and when he saw Felix sit up, he practically threw his arms around his best friend. The oldest Spencer’s eyes immediately filled with tears, both happy and relieved that Felix was alive. 

“Yeah okay, easy on the pressure, mate.” Felix said “You want to keep me alive.”

“Shit, yeah, sorry.” Riley sniffed and wiped the tears from his way “You just really scared us, Felix. I thought we’d lost you for a moment.”

Despite the fact that he still looked a little weak, Felix seemed to be his normal self. Aragorn told them he would likely carry the scar for the rest of his life, but if Riley knew his friend right, he would use it as an excuse for telling stories. 

“You think I’d let you guys have all the fun without me?” Felix sassed “Do you even know me?” 

“I’ll leave you guys to it, it’s good to see you alive and well, Felix.” Maggie said “Try to stay that way, yeah?” 

“I’ll do my best, Your Majesty.” 

* * *

The following day, they finally set off towards Dunharrow. It was a journey that would require at least one stop along the way and while some were anxious to get to their destination, Theo was grateful for the break. It allowed him to finally get some time to speak with Aragorn and clear the air between them. In hindsight, Theo knew he had both spoken and acted rashly, which seemed to be a recurring trait of his lately. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of the dwarrow part of him, he just disliked how much it could overtake him at times. Sometimes, it filled him with such rage that he couldn’t control it. For many years, he’d learned how to handle his emotions and to not overreact. Those around him often told Theo that his father, Thorin, was known for having a bad temper at times. He knew his family and the dwarves of Erebor who remembered Thorin loved him even after his death. Sometimes, Theo felt a pressure to carry on his father’s legacy both in terms of his heritage and his manners. Even though Theo had never met his father, he still loved him but he wanted his identity to be his own. 

Obviously, he would never actually disown Aragorn and it was just words spoken in the heat of a moment. Words he sorely regretted and at first he wondered if the ranger perhaps would not forgive him. His brother was a kind and patient man though and soon enough they were talking as if the fight had never happened. In the end, his mother was right and the only one who should make a choice about her wellbeing is herself. A couple hours into their conversation, they were joined by Boromir who up until that point had been speaking with Maggie, no doubt about Laura. In the middle of a conversation about hunting, Theo caught a strong scent in the air when he looked around he saw Lady Éowyn walking towards them, carrying a bowl of soup in her hands. Éowyn was talented at a great many things, but cooking, Theo had come to realise, was not one of them. No wonder Gimli had scattered as soon as she stopped to offer him a plate. The heir of Dúrin tried to hide his wince as Éowyn handed Aragorn the bowl and knelt down in front of them.

Theo felt bad for her. Éowyn’s heart was kind and it was clear that she had developed feelings for Aragorn, but Theo also knew that her brother did not feel the same way about her. 

“I had a conversation with Maggie a few days ago.” Éowyn said “I was curious about why she looks so young, yet you speak about knowing her as a child when both you and Theo are older. Then, I spoke to my Uncle and he told me the strangest thing. He said that you and Theo both rode to war with Thengel, my grandfather, but surely he must be mistaken.” 

“King Théoden has a good memory.” Aragorn chuckled “He was only a small child at the time.” 

“Is that when he suffered nightmares because you told him a bedtime story about some kind of magical wardrobe and a witch that hunted children?” Theo said as he reached for a memory in the back of his mind. “You came back to Imladris and Elrond was upset because Thengel said that Théoden had nightmares for days afterwards.” 

“Lord Elrond exaggerates.” 

“You know,” Boromir said and inhaled the tobacco in his pipe “I do recall memories of Lord Amandil telling me similar such stories as a child in Minas Tirith.” 

Theo watched as Éowyn’s eyes filled with wonder and also confusion as she did the math in her head. Apparently, the story about the wardrobe was one that his grandfather had told Maggie and Riley as children. In turn, Maggie had shared that story with Aragorn as a child. It only made sense that Amandil must have told it to Boromir and his brother during his residence in Minas Tirith. 

“Then you must be at least sixty?” Éowyn guessed 

Both Theo and Boromir chuckled while Aragorn looked embarrassed. 

“Seventy?” Éowyn wondered “But you cannot be eighty?” 

“Come now, brother.” Theo said “Now you are being mean.” 

Theo had to admit though, that this teasing was a bit fun and he had a feeling that Éowyn would not be offended. 

“Eight-seven.” Aragorn admitted finally 

Éowyn’s expression changed again and she nearly fell backwards as the realisation hit her. “You are one of the Dunédain. A descendant of Numenor, blessed with long life. It was said that your race had passed into legend?” 

“There are a few of us left,” Aragorn said and nodded at Theo “But the Northern Kingdom was destroyed long ago.”

Éowyn turned to Theo “You as well?” 

“Aragorn and I both have Numénorean blood in our veins,” Theo explained with a nod “My grandfather, Maggie’s father, is Lord Amandil of Andúnie. His eldest son was Elendil, who founded the kingdom of Gondor.” 

“But if he is the father of Elendil then he must be thousands of years old? 

“Our family is…complicated.” 

Rather than being surprised, Éowyn seemed at loss for words. She pushed the bowl of soup back into Aragorn’s hands, got back up on her feet and brushed the dirt off her clothes. 

“Please, eat.” she urged 

When Éowyn left, Theo and Boromir both struggled to keep their laughter to themselves.

“You guys are cruel.” Riley said as he walked past them, “Nice to see you’re not planning on killing each other.” 

* * *

Dunharrow was a sight to behold. In fact, nothing could have prepared Maggie for how incredible it was. Standing on top of the hill and looking down on the thousands of people below them was something to tell stories about later. For the first time in a long while, Maggie felt a bit of hope grow inside her and a sense that perhaps they’d be able to pull this off after all. Usually, Théoden was the one with a slightly grumpy outlook on things but this time, Maggie sensed unease and disappointment from Aragorn as he stared down the gathered forces below them. Ever since their arrival at Dunharrow, Aragorn had been more on edge than usual and kept a wary eye around him. 

“How many are there?” Maggie asked “That looks like a hell of a lot of people.” 

“Six thousand spears.” Théoden replied “Less than half of what I’d hoped for.” 

“Ever the optimist, aren’t we?” 

“Six thousand will not be enough to break the lines of Mordor.” Aragorn huffed, his voice also filled with disappointment and concern. “We have until dawn and then we must ride.” 

“There’ll be more, right?” Felix asked “Surely, more will come?” 

Maggie saw the expression in Aragorn’s eyes as they met hers and it was the first time she’d seen him so dismayed. She couldn’t quite tell if it was anger or disappointment but she couldn’t help but to feel bad for him. After exchanging a few more words with Theoden, Aragorn walked off. Maggie was about to follow her son but to her surprise, Théoden stopped her. 

“He needs time,” the king told her “And you have a visitor waiting for you, in your tent.” 

_ Visitor?  _ Maggie thought and Théoden must have seen the lightbulb in her mind, because the king of Rohan actually laughed. Within seconds, Maggie took off running towards the tent. By the time she reached it, dusk had already begun to fall and her heartbeat increased with every passing second. Finally, she exhaled a deep breath before stepping into the tent where a familiar blonde dwarf waited for her. 

“Fee!” 

Just like the first time they had reunited in Rivendell, Maggie practically jumped onto Fili and crashed her lips against his, which he happily welcomed. “Easy  _ givashel,  _ it’s still a bit sore.” Fee chuckled but then pulled Maggie to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her, with no intent of letting her go. “I have missed you, more than my heart can bear.” 

The blonde dwarf buried his face in Maggie’s hair and for a moment they just stood there.

“I’ve missed you too, Fee.” Maggie sniffed between her tears, “I’m so glad you’re alright.”

“Not sure I would be if it weren’t for Elrond.” Fili said “He is rather hand to have around, we should consider making that a habit. How is our latest family member doing?” 

Fili took a step back to look at Maggie, who felt a little self-conscious but overjoyed to have her husband with her, if only for a short while. Fili placed his hands on her baby bump and leaned his forehead against Maggie’s. He mumbled something in Khuzdul and as he did, Maggie felt as though the world around them fell away and it was just the three of them there: herself, Fili and their unborn child. Maggie felt their daughter’s strong heartbeat and she felt relieved that their child was healthy. She recalled a similar moment when she was pregnant with Theo and Thorin had also whispered a similar incantation which connected them to the baby. A few moments later, the incantation wore off and Maggie became more aware of her surroundings again. 

“I cannot wait to meet her.” Fili whispered “And you look stunning.”How are you feeling,  _ amralime _ ?” 

“I’m okay, I mean really all things considering I’m good.” Maggie said “All of this is just a lot sometimes. Felix got shot by an orc arrow, not poisonous, thank God. I worry about Laura because who knows where she is with Frodo and Sam. Nat is in Minas Tirith with Pippin and Gandalf. I know she’ll be fine because my father is there as well. But...I don’t know Fee. Aragorn and Theo had a falling out a few days ago. It wasn’t pretty….and I just….” 

Fili gently tousled Maggie’s hair with his fingers as she rambled, and she knew it was all coming out of her. All the worry, all the anxiety and pressure she’d kept inside for the past few weeks. Sure, she could speak with Aragorn, and Riley and the others, but it wasn’t the same as speaking to her husband or to her partner. It was only then, as all of the emotions overcame her, that Maggie realised how afraid she was. She knew that this would be different from the quest to Erebor and she thought she’d been prepared for it. Truthfully, she hadn’t been prepared at all; she was terrified out of the outcome because nothing had gone according to plan. 

“I’m scared, Fili. I’m really, really scared.” Maggie whispered “I’m not as brave as I thought I was.” 

“Being afraid doesn’t make you weak, my love.” Fili told her “And you have been so very brave.” 

Fili pressed his lips against Maggie’s and in an instant she felt calmer again. She hadn’t expected to see her husband at all until after the war and while she was certainly pleasantly surprised, she couldn’t help but wonder if there was another reason for his visit. 

“Fee, not that I’m not ecstatic to see you,” Maggie said “But what are you doing here? You should be back in Erebor, healing.” 

“I would feel a lot more comfortable healing in Erebor, if you were with me.” Fili told her “Maggie, you should come home. This is no place for you or our unborn child. If anything happened to you or to her and if i had the power to stop it, I would never forgive myself.” 

Maggie’s heart sank and she felt a weight of guilt on pressing on her chest when she heard the worry in Fili’s voice. Logically, she knew that returning to Erebor where it was safe for her was the responsible thing to do. Sure, she had survived one war while pregnant but that didn’t mean that the odds would always be on her side. However, Maggie knew it wasn’t that simple and just like she had spoken with Riley about, she also knew that she still had a part to play in all of this. 

“Fili, my love.” Maggie said softly as she leaned her forehead against his, inhaling his scent with every breath she took. “I want nothing more than to be safe with you, but I know in my heart that my place is here. Fighting side by side with my brother, my sons and my friends. I cannot give up. Not when Laura, Sam and Frodo depend on our defence. If I leave, I let them down and I can't live with that. Please understand…” 

“But Maggie, you know the prophecy speaks about somebody amongst you who will die,” Fili said “What if that person is you and the baby? We have waited so long for a chance to be together as a family; you, I and Elrond. Now we get to have a child together, which is a blessing in its truest form.” 

For the first time in her life, Maggie saw tears forming in Fili’s eyes and streamed down his cheek. Her heart ached and she felt like she was betraying her family. She knew there were no guarantees that any of them would come out of this alive, but that was the thing about war and nobody knew that better than Fili. She wiped the tears from her husband's face and nuzzled his nose, gently kissing his lips. 

“I cannot lose you again.” Fili whimpered “You are my whole world and I love you more than life itself.” 

“And I love you, Fee.” Maggie whispered “More than I thought I could anyone. You won’t lose me. I have to believe that we will survive this because if I do not, then there is no hope left for Sam, Laura and Frodo. Then all of this will be for nothing. Please trust that I know what I’m doing.” 

Fili nodded and exhaled an exasperated breath. “I know I cannot change your mind and of course I trust you. You are the most courageous and the most stubborn woman I have ever met.” 

“Isn’t that why you married me?” 

“Indeed. Now, close your eyes and come with me, there is someone else here to see you.” 

The King of Erebor had that cheeky look in his eyes he often got when he was up to mischief. Some things clearly hadn’t changed and as Maggie wondered what on Earth Fili was up to. 

“Fili, you know I hate surprises.” Maggie told her husband. 

“That’s a shame, lass.” said a voice Maggie hadn’t heard in a very long time. “I’ve rather been looking forward to seeing you.” 

“Master Oin!” 

“Maggie, my dear child.” 

Maggie threw her arms around the grey haired dwarf who spun her around, as if she was a small child. She didn’t mind though because she was more than ecstatic to see Óin again. During the two years she lived in Rivendell, Óin had become one of her closest friends and someone whose counsel Maggie trusted without hesitation. In sixty years, the old dwarf was still his same old happy self, if a little bit greyer. The master healer grabbed her hand and twirled her around, causing a few people to look around as he laughed heartily. 

“I don’t understand,” Maggie said after a while “Why are you here?” 

“Master Óin insisted on coming with us, to make sure that everything is alright with the baby.” came Elrond’s familiar voice. For a moment, Maggie had almost forgotten the real purpose for his visit and she wondered if he had already spoken with Aragorn. “Even though I told him that King Théoden no doubt has plenty of skilled people who can look after our Maggie.” 

“Elrond…” 

When Maggie heard Elrond’s voice, she let go of the old dwarf and greeted her lover with a long embrace. A few people whispered amongst themselves when he placed a kiss on her lips and then on her forehead. Thankfully, Maggie had long since stopped caring about people’s opinions regarding her relationship with Fili and Elrond. 

“I have missed you,  _ meleth-nin _ ,” Elrond said “You look well.” 

“Master Óin!”

Maggie was about to reply but she was interrupted by her brother’s excited cry and a few seconds later, Riley nearly tackled the dwarf. It was amazing, she thought, that in spite of everything going on there was still some happiness to be found. 

“Riley, my lad!” Óin exclaimed “You haven’t changed a bit. Still full of mischief I hope?” 

“You know me too well, old friend.” Riley said “It’s a shame I can’t stay and catch up for too long.” 

“What do you mean?” Maggie asked 

In the middle of the joy of seeing old friends, Maggie caught a glimpse of Aragorn in the vicinity of her eyes. They locked eye contact for a moment and when she already knew where he was going. She then saw Legolas who held the reigns of two horses in his hand. One was no doubt for himself and Gimli. When she saw the other horse, she knew Riley’s question was already answered. She turned to her brother and when Riley looked her in the eyes, his face fell. 

“You’re going with Aragorn?” Maggie realised “Riley, that path is dangerous. You know what’s in there…” 

“I know, but he’s feeling lost and I’ve been where he is. Remember Dol Guldur?” Riley explained “Just like your place is here, I think my place is with him.” 

“Just...be careful, Ri.” 

“It’s time to go, lad.” Gimli called out

Riley embraced Maggie in a hug and she struggled to let go of him, because even though she knew and accepted this was the path he had to take, Maggie couldn’t help but to feel extremely uneasy about it all. 

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, that was a longer chapter than I’ve written in a while. I was struggling with this one because I’ve had a lot going on here. I’m sorry if it seems a little rushed, I didn’t want to strictly keep to the script, so some of the events are sort of in the background if you’re wondering why the path of the dead thing just suddenly appears. But, Nat is riding out with Faramir: how will that go? Maggie is reunited with both Fili and Master Oin! Is Fili going to stay with her in Dunharrow or return to Erebor? Maggie and Riley are separated AGAIN - how will things pan out? Please leave some kudos or a comment to let me know what you thought….


	19. Riley's Heartache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Riley misses Bilbo and battle is dawning....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aaaaaand I’m back folks. Much quicker than usual! I’m slowly getting my inspiration back as life is slowly but surely getting back to normal. Sadly, Sir Ian Holm recently passed away, so in honour of him, there will be a bit of Riley/Bilbo later on in this chapter. RIP Sir Ian, may you sail safely into the west. 

**Chapter Nineteen**

_ Riley’s Heartache  _

Laura had watched many horror films in her days, some of them against her better judgment. However, there were few places in the known universe that stirred quite as much fear in her as Cirith Ungol. Its exterior reminded Laura of old gothic architecture with grotesque stone gargoyles guarding its entrance. While their eyes were lifeless and she knew they were merely structures, it still felt as though they looked inside her soul. Somehow, she and Sam had made it out of Shelob’s cave with their lives intact. Now, they had to find a way of rescuing Frodo from the orcs so that they could carry on with the quest. Laura couldn’t explain it, but somehow it felt as though they were nearing the end. They had one major obstacle left and that was to somehow pass through Mordor unseen and get inside Mount Doom. 

The very thought of succeeding at something so impossible made Laura’s stomach churn. All at once she wished she was back home with her friends having a normal Friday night of watching movies, playing board games and laughing. A part of her wished none of this had happened and that they hadn’t come to Middle-Earth at all. Deep inside though, she knew that by wishing away Middle-Earth she also wished away Boromir. Perhaps more than being back with her friends, Laura wished she was in Boromir’s arms where nothing could hurt her. 

Then, Laura felt guilty. How could life possibly return to normal after experiencing all of this? How could she return home and pretend like none of this had happened, that she hadn’t fallen in love? Boromir had touched her heart in a way Laura never thought possible and even though she knew that she ought to go back home where she belonged, she also wanted to belong with him. Would she be welcome to stay if she chose to? Was it selfish of her to want something for herself that couldn’t be reversed? 

“We need a plan,” Laura realised as she stared at the large entrance in front of them.“We can’t just barge in and hope for the best.” 

“I do have a plan.” Sam said    


“Go on then, don’t leave me hanging.” 

The blonde hobbit turned around to her, with a cheeky smile tugging at his lips. “We’re gonna barge in and hope for the best.” 

At first, Laura couldn’t believe Sam would suggest something so reckless but she quickly realised that the gardener was serious. Samwise Gamgee definitely wasn’t the same hobbit she had met all those months ago. He had turned into somebody with much more confidence and courage and she was convinced that without Sam, they would never have gotten as far as they had. Perhaps what amazed her the most, was how her friend managed to keep up his positive attitude despites all the hardships they’d gone through. While Laura couldn’t hide how angry she was at Frodo for his behaviour towards her and especially Sam, he took in his stride and made his mission to get his friend back no matter what it might cost him. Frodo was lucky to have someone as loyal as Sam in his life. 

It wasn’t long before Laura and Sam heard voices within Cirith Ungol. They hid behind a bunch of rocks and a few moments later, they saw three orcs walking down the steep and winding staircase. With Sting glowing blue in his hand, Sam took the lead and began to huff loudly as he carefully treaded up each step. Laura stayed behind him and eventually, they came face to face with their enemies. Three ugly orcs stood in the stairwell and when they saw their opponents were a human and a hobbit, the expressions on their faces changed from terrified to amused. Sam wouldn’t have it though. Within seconds, he charged forward, stabbed one of the orcs and pushed him over the edge of the stairs. He headbutted the other one who met the same fate as his colleague. They ran up the stairs, through the corridors that seemed never ending and then further up the tower until they reached the very top. 

“That’s for Frodo! The Shire!” Sam cried out “And that’s for my old Gaffer!” 

“Damn Sam….” Laura said, both impressed and terrified. 

One of the orcs held onto the edge of the steps and Laura used all her strength to step on him, making the foul creature lose his grip and fall to his death. 

“And that’s for being rude as hell…”

Laura followed Sam up the stairs and the sound of Frodo’s voice reached her ears. It sounded as if he was in pain, which made both of them hurry. When they finally reached the top of the stairs, another orc appeared and they saw Frodo bound on the floor, without his clothes. 

“Stop your squealing you dungfilled rat,” the orc hissed “I’m gonna bleed you like a stuck pig.”

“Not if I stick you first.” 

Sam was a lot quicker than Laura anticipated and before she knew, he stabbed the orc from behind, right through his chest. It was dead on the floor within a matter of seconds and Frodo seemed just as surprised as she did. Frodo also looked awful. His whole body was pale as a sheet and no doubt suffering from the cold. At the sight of Laura and Sam his eyes widened but there was also remorse in them. 

“Sam!” Frodo cried out “Laura! I’m so sorry!” 

Laura hurried up to Frodo and untied his hands from the rope. There was nothing but regret and sadness in the ring bearer's eyes and while a part of Laura was furious with him for the way he’d behaved, she also knew that it wasn’t really their Frodo who had said all those awful things. 

“They’ve taken it!” Frodo panicked “They’ve taken the ring!” 

“Well, begging your pardon but they haven’t.” 

Sam reached inside his shirt and pulled out the ring. An awkward silence hung in the air and Laura saw the skeptical look in Frodo’s eyes. As if after all this time he still doubted whether or not his best friend could be trusted. 

“We thought we lost you,” Sam explained “So I took it, only for safekeeping.” 

“Give it to me, Sam.” Frodo demanded “The ring is my burden. It will destroy you.”

Sam hesitated for a while and Laura couldn’t blame him. Something in the brown haired hobbit’s eyes changed and it frightened Laura. It was as if Frodo was more paranoid and unpredictable than he had been before. Eventually, Frodo grabbed the ring from Sam’s hands and the heavy feeling in the air lifted. 

“Okay so, now that the whole class is here. We have a bigger problem on our hands.” Laura realised “Like, how the hell are we going to get out of here without getting caught? Frodo needs clothes and we need some kind of disguise.” 

“I think I have an idea.” Sam said 

* * *

Peregrin Took was filled with worry and dread. Above all he was frightened. He saw the nazgul on their winged beasts and everywhere he turned, people were fleeing. It had started and the hobbit knew it would only get worse from here. Suddenly, he felt so out of place in a world he didn’t belong. He belonged back in the shire with his family and his friends. At the moment, Pippin wished things were the way they used to be when life was simple. He wanted to get up to mischief with Merry, have drinks at the Green Dragon with Frodo and Sam. He wanted to sit by the fireplace in Sam’s house and listen to the old Gaffer’s stories. 

Deep inside though, Pippin knew life would never be the same again. He was part of something much bigger and even though it sometimes excited him, it also terrified him. How could a small hobbit be a part of something so important? Overhead, Gandalf shouted orders at the soldier keeping the defence of the battlement. The enemy were gathered in thousands and large boulders were fired from enormous machines. Pippin had never seen such a thing in his life. Orcs climbed over the battlement and charged through the city, killing innocent people in their way. Pippin aimlessly stumbled through the street of Minas Tirith until he found himself up on the courtyard. In front of him, he saw Lord Denethor who stood and watched from his place by the edge. His face filled with horror. This man was supposed to be a leader and guard the city until a king sat upon the throne and yet it seemed like the only thing Denethor was interested in protecting was his own skin. 

“Pippin!” 

The young hobbit gasped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and then relaxed when he realised it was only Nat. Hours ago, he’d heard about her plan to join Faramir in battle because she believed that if she didn’t, his life would be at risk. Over the course of the past few months, Pippin had learned to not doubt the words of Nat and the others, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was strange that they knew so much and still couldn't reveal everything. 

“Nat! You’re alive!"  Pippin’s excitement was short-lived when Nat was suddenly yanked backwards by her collar. Denethor’s eyes had gone from being filled with fear to being almost red with fiery rage. 

“Where is my son!” He demanded “ _ You _ killed him!”

Nat struggled but the old man was stronger than she was. Pippin tried to help but one of the guards held him back and he was powerless. 

“No, no he isn’t!” Nat assured him “Your son is down there protecting the people of this city! Which is what you should be doing and you’re up here cowering away?” 

“You  **liar** !” Denethor hissed “You tricked my son into fighting and now he is dead, just like Boromir! Ever since you and that wizard arrived here, it has been nothing but trouble!” 

Pippin watched in horror as Denethor grabbed Amandil by her collar and pushed her towards the edge and he closed his eyes, unable to watch even even more incapable of helping. He felt like he’d let her down because it wasn’t for his own stupidity, they would both be back at Edoras with the others. Nat would be safe and out of harm's way. Pippin imagined how Theo would react if he found she’d been sent to her death. While Pippin’s anxious thoughts were spiralling into every possible worst case scenario and he heard Nat’s struggle, the sound of a loud whack reached his ears. It was followed by the sound of a body dropping and when Pippin opened his eyes, he saw Amandil standing between Denethor and Nat, with his staff in one hand. 

“Denethor, son of Ecthelion.” Amandil said, “I am hereby relieving you of your duties as the Steward of Gondor. You are no longer fit to reign over this city. Your father would be ashamed of you.” 

The guard let go off Pippin who rushed over to Nat and helped her back on her feet. 

“You do not have the authority to take away my power!” Denethor protested 

“It is no longer yours to keep.” 

In the background, Pippin heard horse hooves galloping up the steps leading up to the courtyard and as Denethor was about to charge toward Amandil, Pippin looked on as Shadowfax stomped Denethor and he fell over the edge. The last thing Peregrin Took heard was the sound of his body piercing a sharp object. 

“So passes Denethor, son of Ecthelion.” Gandalf announced. 

“And good riddance….” Nat said as she exhaled a relieved sigh.

In the middle of all the chaos, another sound reached their ears and when they turned their eyes to the horizon, Pippin saw a sight nobody back in the shire would ever believe. 

Help had finally reached them. 

* * *

Riley’s heart longed for Bilbo. No, it ached for him. All he ever wanted was to spend the rest of his life growing old by his husband’s side. He didn’t care whether it was in Bag End or in Rivendell or somewhere else entirely. Riley needed Bilbo Baggins just like he needed the air in his lungs to breathe. There was a part of him that felt like he had let his husband down and he couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that haunted him. On their wedding day, which seemed like almost a whole lifetime ago, he’d sworn to stay by his side no matter what life threw at them. Those first six months of marriage in Rivendell had been the happiest time of Riley’s life and he desperately longed for things to be as they were. 

He’d already broken that promise once by returning back to Earth and then now again by going into war. At the beginning of the quest, Riley felt confident that things would pan out as they were always meant to. Their presence in Middle-Earth was just an extra aid and he knew just as well as his friends did, that the good guys won. As always though, it seemed as though being in Middle-Earth once again changed things and nothing was predictable anymore. 

Then there was Bilbo, who more often became a pressing matter of concern for Riley. Even though only one year had passed in their world, sixty years had passed in Middle-Earth. Even with the ring, Bilbo Baggins was no longer a young hobbit and. Since Frodo took the ring off him, his true age began to show in both body and in spirit. It pained Riley to admit that he didn’t have much time left with Bilbo and he wanted the last memories they shared together to be ones filled with love and light. It was the least Riley could do for the man he loved more than life itself. 

"Well….this place isn't just a little eerie." For the past couple of hours, Riley, Aragorn, Legolas and Gilmi had been following the path through the mountain. Riley felt bad about leaving his sister and Felix behind, especially as the battle was coming to its peak. Although just like when he’d left Maggie and the dwarves at the edge of Mirkwood to follow Gandalf, Riley knew he needed to stay with Aragorn. Maggie and Felix would always be fine. Not only because they had each other, but because Theo was there and he would protect his mother from coming to harm. A part of Riley wondered if perhaps he should have tried to convince Maggie to leave with Elrond and Fili. Considering the stubbornness that ran in their family, he knew his sister would never leave. He just hoped that just like they had done before, the Valar would make sure no harm came to her or her unborn daughter. Every now and again, Riley snapped out of his thoughts to the sound of Gimli’s whinging. It seemed to the oldest Spencer like the path just carried on endlessly. Normally, Gimli’s complaining would have been annoying but seeing a dwarf being so frightened to be underground gave all of them reason to be extremely cautious. 

"What kind of army would linger in such a place like this?" Gimli asked, nervously

"One that is cursed," Legolas replied "Long ago the men of the mountain swore an oath to the last king of Gondor; to come to his aid to fight. But when time came they fled, banishing into the darkness of the mountain and so Isildur cursed them never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge."

"They sound grand." Riley said. Finally, they dismounted their horses that were beginning to act uneasy and scared. The door they'd been looking for was right in front of them and Riley had to admit that even he was feeling terrified.

"The way is shut, it was made by those who are dead and the dead keep it." Legolas read as he off the signs on top of the door

"Definitely not a five-star resort then." 

Aragorn rolled his eyes and seemed to be neither frightened nor bothered by it. Instead he grasped his sword and walked right in through the doors shortly followed by Legolas.

"Well this is unheard of; an elf will go underground where a dwarf dare not?” Gimli called out “I'll never hear the end of this.”

“Don’t worry my friend, I won’t tell your dad.” Riley teased as he walked in after the elf and the ranger. 

As far as claustrophobic places were concerned, the cave they were in was far worse than Moria had ever been and Riley tried to remember to breathe. He wasn't going to let his own fear get the better of him because they needed to do this, they needed more allies or else they would have no chance at all to defeat Sauron and Riley wouldn't have that on his conscience. Riley wasn't sure what he expected to see when they walked in through the path but it was practically some sort of underground abandoned city.

"The dead are following," said Legolas as he glanced around wearily. All of them, even Aragorn, were a little on edge. "They have been summoned."

"Yeah? Is that a good or a bad thing?Because I've gotta tell you 'Las, I'm not entirely convinced." Suddenly, beneath their feet some kind of fog seemed to be surrounding them and Riley could swear it was taking the shape of hands trying to grasp at them.

"Who enters my domain?" the voice was threatening and haunting but Riley couldn't see who it belonged to until suddenly the same person who once could have been a king appeared. Ghosts huh, Riley thought, that's something new.

"One who will have your allegiance." Aragorn demanded

"The dead do not suffer the living to pass." said the king

"You will suffer me!" They appeared from out of nowhere, just like the king had and before Riley knew it they were surrounded by countless ghosts and the king continued to laugh, obviously with no intention of helping them at all as he walked towards them.

"Simple, why can these things never be simple?" Riley asked as he was beginning to feel that this would take a lot of time.

"What would be the fun in that, uncle??" Aragorn replied while he grinned smugly. 

Legolas fired an arrow which obviously did nothing except go straight through the king. "They way is shut, it was made by those who are dead and the dead keep it. Now you must die."

"I summon you to fulfil your oath." Aragorn told him

"None but the king of Gondor can summon me." At this remark, Aragorn revealed his sword and the king looked at Aragorn as though he had seen a ghost.

"That line was broken!"

“Yeah, about that…” Riley said 

"It has been remade! Fight for us and regain your honour. What say you?”

Aragorn reamined unafraid and Riley couldn’t help but be impressed. For somebody who had opposed being a leader for so long, Aragorn was a strong leader. Riley had no doubt in his heart that when the day finally came, he would be a great king. 

Assuming they all lived to see that day. 

* * *

Felix hadn’t slept a single wink and when the dawn came, his body was filled with too much adrenaline to be tired. His injury ached a little but not enough to stop him from fighting, thanks to Aragorn’s healing skills. After Elrond and Fili had unsuccessfully tried to convince Maggie to leave with them, Felix had stayed up talking with her for a while. It was the first time in a long while that the two of them had been able to just talk uninterrupted by the others. It had always been one of the great regrets of Felix’s life, that the way his and Maggie’s relationship ended had always affected their friendship. Of course they were still friends but just like with most break-ups, nothing ever really stayed the same. Ever since arriving in Middle-Earth, Felix was grateful because their friendship had become a lot stronger. Throughout the journey with the Fellowship, Felix had tried to understand why both Maggie and Riley would so willingly give up their lives on Earth for one in Middle-Earth. Now he realised that this was their home and where they truly belonged. Felix knew for certain that if they all survived this, Nat would stay with Theo and Laura would in all likelihood marry Boromir. Felix wasn’t entirely sure where his place was but after seeing Legolas disappear into the shadow of the mountain, he knew where his heart belonged. 

In the early hours of sunrise, it was Boromir who woke up Felix and told him it was time to prepare for their ride to Gondor. Out of all them, Boromir seemed the most excited, which made sense because he was finally returning to his home. If Felix remembered correctly though, Minas Tirith would be a mess and he wasn’t sure how the Captain of Gondor would handle such a sight. They rode to Minas Tirith in silence and when the sun finally rose on the horizon, it showed the great city of Minas Tirith standing at the foot of the mountain. Felix was completely at loss for words and didn’t know what to say. The enemy’s army were already attacking the city and even from a distance, he heard the screams of the people suffering within the walls. 

“You ready for this, Felix?” Maggie asked and Felix heard the anxiety in his friend's voice.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Felix replied “Whatever happens, Maggie, I want you to know that I’m glad I’m here. I wasn’t sure about my place in all of this until now, but now I know I’m supposed to be by your side. I just wish...god. I wished I’d told Legolas how I feel.”

“You will still have your chance,  _ mellon-nin _ .” Theo said “We will not die on this field.” 

“I see that Spencer cockiness still runs in the family.” 

A chuckle escaped Maggie’s lips and Felix watched as all the riders on the front line held out their spears when Théoden rode past them. 

“Arise! Arise riders of Théoden! Spears shall be shaken! Shields shall be splintered!” Théoden called out “A sword day! A red day! ‘Ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world’s ending!” 

Théoden’s words and the sound of the army screaming at the top of their lungs filled Felix with something he had never felt before and he couldn’t explain it. He just knew that there was no going back now and this was the endgame. 

* * *

As Riley watched the mercenary ships sail into shore he couldn't help but to think it was interesting that Middle-Earth was so large. Obviously he'd known that there were mercenaries and other lands it was more the fact that Tolkien hadn't really spent as much time describing them as he had the Middle-Earth that Riley knew. The four companions stood and waited for the ships to come in and

"You will not enter Gondor." Aragorn told them calmly. The mercenaries just laughed mockingly at them until Legolas fired an arrow, which then immediately killed one of the sailors.

"Prepare to be boarded!" Gimli shouted

"Boarded?" said one of the mercenaries "By you and whose army?!"

"Famous last words mate," said Riley with a grin as a green fog appeared in front of them in the shape of their friends from within the mountain.

"Oh I'm going to regret this one, come on Gimli." Riley plunged in after the two others and Gimli had no choice but to follow.

**_To be continued…_ **

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Another chapter! I know I changed things around in this one. Partly because I didn’t want to blindly follow the movie and because it wouldn’t make sense with my timeline of the events. I hope that’s okay! If you’re still reading this do let me know what you think and leave me kudos or a comment and I’ll be forever grateful! 


	20. Pelennor Fields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which battles are fought and some lost...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N** Oh look! Another update! We’re close to the end guys! In the original version of this I had the battle and Laura’s point of view in the same version, but I’m going to have Laura’s version be a whole separate chapter instead. I recently re-read the original version of this and oh my god guys, it was so badly written. I’m glad I’m getting a chance to properly revisit these characters. 

**Chapter Twenty**

_ Pelennor Fields  _

_ This is it _ , Maggie thought,  _ this is where we make our stand. _ It was as if everything she had done, all the heartache she’d lived through and all the previous trials led up to this one moment. Never in her life would Maggie Spencer have thought she would fight side by side with her son. She’d been so lucky to get a second chance with Theo in this lifetime and even if this was where she died, she knew it would be without regret. Watching the armies of Mordor on the fields in front of them was like a living nightmare. She’d seen and fought orcs before but never like this. Frankly, Maggie wondered if she hadn’t lost her mind after all and perhaps she was even a little selfish for risking her and her daughter’s life. Thankfully, she’d been given special armor to protect her and she hoped it would do its job.There was no turning back and no change of heart. Just for a moment, Maggie closed her eyes and just for one moment she thought about home, in Wales where she had her family and all of her other friends. 

She thought about the smell of her mum’s home cooked Sunday roast and sitting at the table with Riley and her father. She thought back on her childhood and all those nights when she’d snuck into her father’s study, unable to sleep and he would read her the Hobbit. Not once would Maggie have thought of the possibility that she would be standing in Middle-Earth and that it was her home. It was where her son had been raised and where her daughter would grow up. It was the place where she had first learned the meaning of true love and the grief of losing it. Even though Maggie’s love for Fili and Elrond was true, not a day went by when she didn’t think about Thorin. If he truly was watching the Mahal’s Hall, Maggie knew how proud he would be of their son and the man Theo had become. No words could describe how proud she was and she knew that one day, if he wanted, Theo would become a great king of Erebor. 

Maggie didn’t want the Valar had planned for them and she couldn't quite explain it but she knew in her heart that this battle wasn't just for all the kingdoms in Middle-Earth. This was for their home as well and all the other worlds out there. This was so much bigger than anything they could ever imagine and it was far from over yet. As Maggie heard everyone join in Théoden's battle cry she closed her eyes and thought of Elrond, Fili and their unborn child. And then, just for one split second, she could swear she heard Elrond's voice speaking to her.  _ We are with you, meleth-nin _ ,  _ always _ . Those were the only words of courage Maggie needed before she looked Theo and then Felix in the eyes and set off galloping across the fields. 

Somewhere in the midst of all the chaos on the battlefield, Maggie lost Felix. Her eyes frantically searched for him between the clashes of swords and stomping of horse hooves. Many men had already fallen over, their lives lost to poisonous orc blades. Maggie could only hope that their death had been swift. At first, the orcs seemed confident as they fired off arrows which even killed some of their own immediately. When they realised that wasn't working they suddenly seemed frightened and some of them didn't move. It didn’t take long before the horses trampled them to instant death. Unfortunately, there were still a hell of a lot more orcs than there were men.

"Maggie!" Boromir’s voice reached Maggie’s ears and when the Captain of Gondor rode up to her, they were immediately interrupted by the sound of a horn neither of them were familiar with. Maggie turned her head and her jaw nearly dropped when she saw enormous and fantastical creatures moving towards them with immense speed.  _ Oliphants,  _ she thoughts. If she wasn’t terrified she might have been a little excited. 

"Shit me…" Despite having seen the films, actually seeing an Oliphant stood in front of you was an entirely different experience. "Uhm, Éomer….what do we do?" she asked. There were at least half a dozen Oliphants marching straight towards them and even more men on them.

King Théoden answered the question for her. 

"Re-form the line!" Théoden ordered, even his voice was slightly panicked. "Sound the charge! Take them head on!"

Miraculously, Maggie was still steady on her horse and as she rode forward, she ended up right under one of the oliphants and only just managed to escape its tusks. Using what she remembered from Thorin’s sword lessons long ago, she was able to cut the creature’s ankle although she doubted it did much harm. It was the arrows, she figured, that would bring the beasts down so she focused on killing as many of the orcs as she possibly could.

“Boromir!” Maggie shouted “I’ve got an idea!” 

* * *

Felix knew he was a fish out of water. No amount of training with Boromir could have possibly prepared for a battle of this scale and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t terrified. His friends were out of sight and he only had his own skills to count on for survival. Yet somehow Felix felt the adrenaline rush going right through his body as he killed one orc after the other.He was already covered in blood and cuts, but because of the adrenaline he couldn’t feel their burns. All he wanted was to survive long enough for all of this to be over. As far as he was concerned he was winning the ongoing competition between him, Legolas and Gimli even though they weren't there yet. While out on the battlefield he tried keeping a lookout for the others but he couldn’t see anyone anywhere. He hoped and prayed that Maggie and the baby would be fine. When he heard the horn and the oliphants came into view, he swore he almost peed a little because those creatures were way bigger than his imagination could have made up. It was impossible to take down a creature that was being controlled by somebody else and the oliphants were under heavy command by their riders. 

"Theo!" Felix shouted when he saw his friend not far from him "Aim for its rider!"

Theo looked at Felix and then cast a glance at the oliphant, as if he was deciding a strategy. Watching Theo in battle was something else entirely. He was an incredibly skilled fighter who carefully calculated every move. Having received training from both elves, men and dwarves made Theo a unique fighter and it truly showed out on the battlefield. He was relentless and full of confidence, rarely missing a mark once he had his eyes set on a target. Theo tightened his bow and released the arrow which hit the oliphant's rider right in the chest and it fell off. The unexpected commotion seemed to catch the creature off guard and made it unstable. Morrow arrows were fired at its head and eventually the creature collapsed, which made the others nervous. Théoden shouted an order to aim for their heads and bring the other creatures down while Felix continued to cut off the heads of orcs. He briefly lost his headcount when the cry of the nazgul overhead caught his attention. 

Then, his horse whinnied in pain, stumbled and tumbled over as it lost its balance. Somebody, an orc, had sliced the poor creature's ankles and for and Felix found himself on the ground. He only just managed to escape the weight of his horse but slipper mud and the chaos around him made it difficult for him to get back up on his feet. Suddenly, a rough hand grabbed his feet and pulled him forward. Felix cried out for help but his voice got lost in the battle, until a blade abruptly cut off the orc’s arm. The foul creature spasmed for a while before its lifeless limbs lay motionless on the ground. Felix almost didn’t dare breathing when two feet stepped over him and a hand reached out towards him. 

“Nat!” Felix cried out “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Saving you apparently.” Nat sassed “You’re welcome, by the way.” 

Gratefully, Felix grabbed Nat’s hand and as she pulled him back up on his feet, they both hugged each other tightly. The football player was beyond relieved to see his friend alive and well. What surprised Felix even more was when he saw Faramir dismounting his horse behind them and calling out to his brother, who wasn’t far away.    
  
“Boromir!” Faramir shouted “I can’t believe it!”    
  
“Brother!” 

Felix watched as the two brothers ran into each other’s arms. He swore he could see tears in Boromir, who otherwise remained stoic and rarely showed weakness. Felix turned to Nat and raised an eyebrow, figuring that somehow she had something to do with the fact that Faramir wasn’t injured or burning at the hands of his father. In one way or another, it seemed as though the five of them had all had their separate adventures. 

“Where’s Maggie and Riley?” Nat asked “Oh don’t tell me she’s here…” 

“Do you really think she’d let anyone convince her otherwise?” Felix replied. “Don’t worry about Maggie, Theo’s got her covered. Come on we can’t just stand here.”   
  
Felix turned to the two brothers of Gondor and whistled to get their attention. 

“Hey Boromir!” Felix called out “You keen on a bet?” 

A smug grin tugged at the Captain’s grin as he decapitated an orc without as much as batting an eyelid. 

“What did you have in mind?” he asked 

* * *

M aggie decided to dismount her horse a long time ago and was back on foot again. She heard Theo somewhere behind her, but she didn’t know where any of the others were. At first, victory was such a faraway concept but now, the orcs were becoming fewer and fewer. The battle was still far from over and it would take some kind of miracle for them to become victorious. Almost as if someone had heard her, she turned her head and noticed a strange green fog wash over the battlefield and it took her a few minutes until she realised what it was. An undead army, killing everything it considered an enemy. Aragorn and the others had found what they were looking for, which meant her brother was probably somewhere in the middle of all this chaos. 

“Kill the girl!” an orc hissed and as Maggie prepared to defend herself an arrow pierced the orc through the head and it fell dead.

“Maggie!  _ Man cerig _ ?!” A familiar voice shouted “Be on your guard,  _ aier _ !” 

“‘Las!  _ Ni ‘lassui. _ ” Maggie gasped, relieved to see her friend.  _ “Hannon le, mellon-nin.  _ I will be more careful. _ ”  _

“Please try not to die.” 

"Legolas!" It was Aragorn who called out his name and both the blonde elf and Maggie looked at the oliphant heading towards them. Within a matter of seconds Legolas had jumped onto the oliphant's tusk and climbed up to the top of its head while shooting the riders and soldiers on it. When they had all fallen off to the ground Legolas shot three arrows into the neck of the creature and as it slowly began collapsing to the ground the Elven prince of Mirkwood just slid off back to the ground like it was the easiest thing ever.

"You massive show off." Maggie said but couldn't help but to smile at the same time

"That still only counts as one!" Gimli grumbled and then when he noticed Maggie was standing next to him he looked at her, somewhat confused. "You're not supposed to be here lassie!" he told her sternly

“So I keep hearing. Now, you could either stand here and scold me or we could kill some orcs? What do you say, Master Dwarf?” 

Gimli’s stern expression changed into a mischievous grin and he grabbed his axe, ready for battle. 

“With pleasure, Your Majesty.” 

* * *

Riley had lost count of how many orcs he'd killed but he was sure it was more than Gimli. Yet, in the distance he could hear the ginger dwarf counting loudly as the swing of his axe decapitated every orc in his path. There was so much movement on the battlefield that Riley struggled to keep up with everyone’s whereabouts. He’d see Aragorn fighting side by side with Theo and he knew that meant Maggie couldn’t be too far away. Theo had made it his mission to protect Maggie no matter what. In the vicinity of his eyes, Riley thought he saw Boromir slicing through the enemy and then Faramir not far away. He couldn’t see Nat or Felix around but he hoped the two of them had each other. Standing in the middle of the battle they had all anticipated for so many months was a surreal feeling. 

In the distance, Minas Tirith was literally on fire and Riley hoped that his father was somewhere behind those walls, with his life still intact. Knowing his dad though, he was probably fighting alongside Gandalf and the people of Minas Tirith. The number of orcs compared to the rest of them meant they were close to victory. Riley could feel it but they still needed one more final push. Frodo, Laura and Sam still needed to throw the ring into Mount Doom and it was up to the rest of them to make sure they would be able to. 

Maybe, just maybe they would stand a chance against Sauron. Maybe the idea of being able to spend the rest of his days smoking a pipe next to Bilbo wasn’t so far fetched. Gimli’s voice snapped Riley back to reality and as he turned to the ginger dwarf, he saw that Gimli seemed annoyed about the fact that Legolas was killing plenty of more orcs and mercenaries than him. It wasn't strange really, if Riley had learned one thing about Legolas over the past few years, it was he was a force to be reckoned with. 

As Riley took a good look around him he could tell that Sauron's forces were diminishing and that they were undoubtedly winning at least this battle.

But he had spoken too soon.

Riley hadn't seen it coming at all. The mercenary behind him knocked him to the ground because he had been too focused on everything else going on. The oldest Spencer lost grip of his sword and as he did, the mercenary kicked it a good few feet away from him so that Riley couldn't reach it in time. He got back up onto his feet and endured a few moments of arm to arm combat but it was like Riley had no strength in him and was once again brought to his knees and the mercenary grabbed him tightly by his throat.

Riley knew then what he had already known in his heart for a long time, ever since he first came across the prophecy with the Dunédain. The real reason why he’d wanted to protect Maggie from the truth and the real reason behind their feud. Maggie's nightmares back in Edoras made sense now and there was nothing else he could do but accept his fate. Riley knew he ought to be scared, that he ought to fight it but something in him told him that it would be alright in the end. He looked the mercenary in the eyes and just for one moment he knew that they understood each other perfectly. There was nothing that could save him now. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and then felt the sting and pain of the arrow right through his chest. After the pain, a cold chill trickled through Riley’s body and then his breath became more shallow. Eventually, the sound of the battle field faded and everything blurred. Riley thought he heard voices calling out his name and the sound of a woman crying. For a moment, he thought he saw his sister running up to him and he wanted to tell her that everything was going to be alright. That he wouldn't be in pain anymore and that he had played his part in this quest. That he and Bilbo would finally be together just as he always wanted it. 

And then, just like that, everything was gone.

* * *

"Let go of me Estel! Let me go!"

Aragorn used all his strength to hold back a struggling Maggie, but when the ranger realised there was no use, he let go of her. He watched with dread as his mother ran straight up to her cousin. Desperately, Maggie tried everything in her power to bring Riley back to life. She shook him, she tried to revive him, she cursed at him but no matter what she did he made no sound nor did he move. What truly broke Aragorn’s heart was watching the realisation in Maggie’s eyes as she was forced to accept that inevitable and when she did, she let out a cry of sorrow Aragorn had never heard before. That’s when the ranger felt his own tears streaming down his eyes. 

"Maggie, there is nothing we can do." Legolas told her calmly,. “He is gone.” 

Aragorn watched as Maggie’s knees gave up and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing into Legolas' arms. Throughout the course of their friendship, Aragorn had never seen Legolas cry and he didn’t try to hide it from the others. Reluctantly, the ranger knelt down beside his uncle’s lifeless body, pulled out the arrow in his chest and then closed his eyes. He had lost not only a friend but a family member. For Maggie however, it was the second time she watched someone she loved die before her eyes. Last time it had been Thorin and the grief of losing a lover had nearly killed her. Aragorn couldn’t even imagine what losing a brother would do to someone. 

"Be at peace  _ Muindor-nin _ .” he whispered “Let the Valar watch over your soul." They may have won the battle of Minas Tirith but they were all of them faced with the inevitable truth.

Riley Spencer was dead.

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I know a lot of you are angry and sad but Riley was always meant to die. You ****_I know what they say about killing your darlings, and well, this is a classic example. It was really tough re-writing his death scene because killing off characters is always painful. Either way, I hope you liked it despite the sadness. How will Maggie cope? How will Amandil react when he finds out? Next up though, Laura, Sam and Frodo continue their trek to Mordor.  
>  Please leave a comment!_****


	21. Such Sweet Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the fellowship grieve Riley's death...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Have you guys recovered from the last chapter yet? Riley is probably one of my favourite characters in this whole series and I really debated with myself if I was going to let him die in this rewrite. A part of me wondered if he should sail off with Bilbo to the Grey Havens, but deep down I always knew he had to die. At least with the rewrite I’m able to do it way more justice than before and allow the other characters proper time to grieve, which is what this chapter is about. 
> 
> I’m also feeling a lot more creative now than I was before, so the chapters will likely be updated more frequently than they previously were. I hope you’ll enjoy this one!

**Twenty-One**

_ Such Sweet Sorrow  _

Laura could see Mount Doom in the distance, spewing its fires from the top of the mountain. The smell of sulphur burned the inside of her nose. Sweat flooded down her face from wearing the heavy armour stolen from the orcs. It was a good thing Riley wasn’t there, she thought, because those suits of armour would have definitely triggered his claustrophobia. Mordor was a nightmare and Laura wanted nothing more than to be done with it. They were closer to Mount Doom than ever, yet it still felt like an impossible goal. Surely, Sauron would be able to sense the presence of Frodo and the ring, especially now that Frodo was so weak. In fact, both Sam and Laura were worried about Frodo’s ability to go through with the quest. 

Every minute the strayed further into Mordor, the weaker he became. The Ring was eating at both his physical and mental strength. Frodo Baggins was nothing but a shadow of the hobbit who had left the Shire. Seeing her friend suffer so much caused a heartache Laura hadn’t felt before. She wanted to help Frodo and free him from the burden, but she knew she couldn’t. All she could do was remain a loyal friend and stand by him until they reached the top of Mount Doom. No matter how much it terrified Laura to be there, she wouldn’t let Frodo or Sam down.

Somehow, the three of them had been able to make it through the marching army of orcs with only a few mishaps. Neither Sam, Laura nor Frodo were skilled enough in battle and it was only by pure dumb luck that they’d made it without being caught. Laura didn’t even want to consider what would happen to them if the Eye of Sauron fell on them. Knowing that that thing was surveilling every bit of movement in the area filled Laura with a different kind of fear. She’d never really been one to believe in magic but she swore she could sense its evil and its power. 

It was a lucky thing as well that orcs were as dumb as they were. Although in larger numbers, they were ruthless and deadly. When all of this was over, she never wanted to see or hear of the creatures again. She was surprised she hadn’t suffered that many nightmares, given all the awful things they had witnessed and been through. She wondered how her friends were doing and if they also worried about her. Laura hoped Maggie and the baby were fine and somewhere safe. That Felix and Nat were coping well with all the strange circumstances and that Riley was still the same as he had always been. The thought of Riley made Laura wonder what he would when the war was over. Bilbo was still in the Shire and as much as it saddened her, a hobbit of his age wouldn’t have much longer to live. She truly hoped that the two of them would be able enjoy each other’s company with the time they were given. 

“What are you thinking about?” Sam asked “You’ve been a little quiet.” 

“I miss my friends.” Laura replied with a sigh. “I miss being able to talk to Nat and Maggie about everything. I miss Riley and Felix even with all their daftness. So much has happened since we last saw each other and I worry things won’t be the same. That we’ll be different.”

“Of course it’ll be different, you’ve been through something extraordinary. You all have. Something like this, it changes a person. As my old Gaffer says though, people change with time and that’s inevitable. Friendships however, the real ones, they’ll survive anything. No matter how much people change.” 

“Your old Gaffer is very wise.”

“Especially after he’s had a couple of pints down the Green Dragon.”

Laura chuckled and Sam dried away the small tear running down her cheek. No matter what happened, Laura thought, she hoped she would remain friends with Sam and Frodo. No matter how dark things got or how impossible something seemed, Sam was always there to prove the opposite. If Rosie Cotton couldn’t see what a fantastic hobbit Samwise Gamgee was, Laura thought, then she did not deserve a chance with him. 

"Frodo!" Laura turned to Frodo who struggled to climb up the rocks. The look of utter exhaustion mixed with hopelessness broke Laura’s heart. At the beginning of the quest, Frodo had been a hobbit with so much hope and certainty. Now, he was withering like a leaf during the seasons change.

"I can't…" Frodo was struggling to find the words "I can't manage the ring."

Frodo’s struggle made sense, especially as they got closer to the mountain. While Laura didn’t know what carrying the ring was like, she got the feeling that it was physically heavy even though it was such a small thing. 

"Here, take mine," Sam offered Frodo his leather pouch with water "There's a few drops left." Frodo grasped it and swallowed the last few drops and then he turned around to Sam and Laura

"There'll be none left for the return journey." he said

"I don't think there will be a return journey." Sam said. Laura hardly believed what she was hearing. Sam had been the one staying positive all the way through. Nobody replied to that but they were all thinking the same thing. Sam reached out his hand and Frodo grabbed it, collecting the last bit of strength he had left. 

They sat in silence for the next couple of hours. Frodo and Laura on each side of Sam as they struggled to keep warm. Frodo was barely lucid and kept whimpering. Laura was too afraid to fall asleep in case anything happened with Frodo. So they sat there, just listening to the wind and keeping out of sight from the eye. If it wasn’t for the occasional movement of clouds that revealed the night sky, Laura wouldn’t even know whether it was morning, afternoon or evening. 

“Mr Frodo. Look.” Sam whispered. “There is light and beauty up there that no shadow can touch.

Laura followed Sam’s gaze and saw that he looked up at the sky, where one small star made itself known in the midst of all the darkness and hopelessness.  _ Maybe,  _ Laura thought,  _ maybe we can do this.  _

* * *

Maggie couldn’t breathe. It was happening all over again and the pain was too much for her to handle. She wasn’t sure at what point she’d given in, but it was Theo who picked her up in his arms when it was time to return to Minas Tirith. Even though she heard all the voices around her and saw what was happening, she still couldn’t really register anything going on. It was as if her mind had shut off her connection to the rest of the world and everything was a bit of a blur. All she saw was the weight of her brother’s dead body in arms and the heat and colour faded from him. Just like it had done for Thorin. 

Her big brother was dead. He wasn’t coming back and Maggie knew exactly who to blame. 

Somehow, she had so blindly decided to follow the words of the Valar, while they dictated the fate of this world as they saw fit. She had believed that by being part of something bigger than themselves, it meant that things would always work out for them. The death of Thorin should have been the first clue that the lives of the peoples in this world mattered little to them. Who the hell were they to decide who was worthy of life and who wasn’t? Their family had sacrificed so much and yet that still wasn’t enough for them. 

Even though Minas Tirith itself was more or less intact, the battle had left many injured and even more dead. Theo helped Maggie off the horse and kept his arms around her. As she looked around, she realised the chaos of the city. The smell of fire, blood and death penetrated her nostrils and her eyes stung from the tears that wouldn’t stop flooding. SMaggie didn’t care though. All she wanted was to see Riley alive again and not just the corpse lying on the stretchbed carried by Felix and Éomer. She heard Aragorn exchange a few words with Gimli but couldn’t comprehend much of what they were saying. 

“No.” 

When the sound of her father’s voice reached her ears, Maggie’s heart ached again and she felt herself tightly grabbing Theo’s hand. She watched with dread as Amandil pushed through the crowds of people gathered and then stopped when he reached the stretch bed. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Riley’s body. When his eyes met Maggie’s she couldn’t handle it and sobbed into Theo’s arms. 

“No, no, no, no, no.” Amandil whispered as he fell to his knees and clutched onto Riley’s clothes, searching for any sign of life. “Tell me this isn’t so.”

“He fought bravely and he died with honour.” Aragorn told him. 

“My son…” 

Throughout her whole life, Maggie had always known her father as a stoic and proud person. He’d always been there for his children when they’d struggled. Maggie had lost count of the number of times she’d cried into his arms. This was the first time she had ever seen her father break down in tears. There was such raw emotion coming from his sobs that Maggie even noticed Legolas silently crying. She inhaled a deep breath, released herself from Theo’s arms and then walked over to her father. Maggie knelt down next to her father and when Amandil turned to her, he all but collapsed into her arms. 

“It’s okay, dad.” Maggie said, although she wasn’t sure how much she believed it herself. “It’s going to be okay.” 

It wasn’t okay though. 

Her big brother was gone and was never coming back. 

* * *

Felix’s world was falling apart. His best friend was dead. Even though he’d seen it with his own eyes, Felix refused to believe it. Riley had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember. Throughout their school years when Felix got into trouble, Riley was the one who got him out of it. He’d been there through every single breakup, even Felix had dated Maggie. Felix knew there were plenty of times throughout his life where he had screwed up but Riley never judged him. There was no other person he trusted more and the fact that he was gone left an emptiness inside Felix and filled him with a pain he’d never felt before. Unlike his friends, Felix had never lost anyone so close and the grief was so near. 

Over the past few months, he always wondered how Maggie must have felt having to deal with the death of Thorin and now he understood. It was a feeling he wouldn’t wish upon his worst enemy. Felix kept going through the events on the battlefield and wondered if there was anything he could have done to stop it from happening. He’d been so caught up with what he was doing that he hadn’t even noticed Riley was there. What kind of friend didn’t look out for others in battle? 

“Felix…” 

Felix wondered how long Legolas had been standing behind him in the hallway, but it mattered little. His eyes burned from the tears and his knuckles turned red from how hard he pushed against the stone wall. When Legolas gently placed his hand on Felix’s shoulder, he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He turned to the elf-prince, allowed Legolas to embrace him and buried his face in his shirt. Legolas said nothing. Instead, he stood there and held Felix while he sobbed and poured out all his emotions. When Felix eventually stopped crying, they stood quietly for a while, but to his surprise he realised it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Without thinking about it, Felix looked up at Legolas and then closed the space between them with a kiss. It wasn’t a spectacular ot mind blowing kiss fit for movie scenes, but it was a sought after kiss. At first, Felix expected Legolas to pull away, seeing as he wasn’t known for showing a lot of emotion. Instead of pulling away, the blonde elf pulled Felix closer and tugged closer at his waist, with one hand around Felix’s neck. What first started as a gentle kiss soon turned into something more hungry and desperate. For months, Felix pushed away his feelings because there was too much at stake and too many what ifs. Now he realised that life was too short to worry about questions nobody knew the answer to. He knew where his heart belonged and if there was one bit of advice Riley had left him with was to not let something slip away because of fear. 

“I’m sorry,” Legolas apologised “That was reckless of me. You’re in mourning and I should not have kissed you.” 

“Stop apologising, Legolas.” Felix said “I don’t want you to stop kissing me. Ever. I need you.”

“You’re sure this is what you want? It won’t be easy.” 

For the first time ever, Felix heard fear in Legolas’ voice. Maggie once told him that when she first met Legolas, he was an elf bound by the strict rules of his father and had barely interacted with those outside his own kin. From what Felix knew about Thranduil, he wasn’t a particularly emotionally available father so perhaps it wasn’t so strange that Legolas too struggled with emotion. However, it seemed as though spending time with Theo and Aragorn, as well as the rest of the fellowship, had softened him.

“Nothing in this world that’s worth having comes easy.” Felix whispered “I know I’ve been an idiot and I understand if you don’t want it but--” 

This time, it was Legolas who interrupted Felix’s rambling with a kiss and Felix relaxed, knowing his feelings weren’t unrequited. 

* * *

Nat couldn’t stop crying. Seeing Maggie so completely destroyed by the death of her brother was more than she could bear. After getting back to Minas Tirith and everyone briefly parted ways, she returned to her bedroom. Her mind was spinning so fast she couldn’t slow down and make sense of what had happened. Nor did she want to believe it because it was so surreal but the truth was unavoidable. They had all known that going into the quest meant that there was a risk they wouldn’t survive it and then there was the prophecy that said one of them would die. Somehow, because Boromir survived and Faramir’s fate was different, they all assumed they were invincible. That their importance to the success of the Fellowship meant they simply had to survive through it. 

Riley’s death proved otherwise and Nat had no idea how to deal with it. She’d known Riley Spencer since they were toddlers. In her teenage years, she developed a small crush on him which Maggie would always tease her about but it eventually faded like some crushes do. To Nat, Riley always felt as if he was the heart of their group and the one who was always there when you needed a shoulder to cry on. She loved all her friends and couldn’t ask for a better and more royal family, but there was always something special about Riley. 

Realising their friend was dead and accepting the pain that came with it, was something Nat had never experienced before. A few years earlier, she lost her grandmother to cancer and of course she’d been sad, but this loss was different. Showing emotions wasn’t something Nat was always good at and she knew the others were right about her walls being high. She hated feeling vulnerable but Nat knew she couldn’t hide from these feelings. Logically, she knew there was no shame in mourning but she was afraid of allowing herself to feel that pain. 

Nat buried her face in her hands and didn’t even look when she heard the door being pushed open. She knew it was Theo before he sat down next to her, gently stroking her hair from her face. They hadn’t seen each other since her departure to Minas Tirith and Nat had missed him. Theo removed Nat’s hands from her face and dried away the tears running down her face. At first Nat expected Theo to say something but instead, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips and wrapped his arm around her as he leaned his head against her forehead. 

“You should be with Maggie,” Nat said “She needs you.” 

“ _ Naneth  _ is with Master Gimli, she will be fine.” Theo explained, “I wanted to see how you are doing. You should not be alone at a time like this.” 

Nat felt guilty for not being with her friends and promised herself to find them later. The battle was far from over and in many ways, the worst was yet to come. 

“I don’t know….” Nat said “It just feels so surreal. Riley has been a part of my life since I was a child and now suddenly he’s not here. I don’t want to believe it but I saw his body, Theo. I saw the wound and I saw his eyes before Aragorn closed them. I watched as that arrow pierced through him and I couldn’t do anything to...to stop….to…”

No matter how much she tried, the words wouldn’t come out of her mouth and Nat found herself sobbing again. Her friend was dead and there was nothing she could do to bring him back. Not even all the magic in Middle-Earth was able to resurrect somebody whose soul had already passed on. Not even Gandalf had the power to do that. 

“It will be alright,  _ amrâlimê  _ .” Theo whispered “Death is a natural part of life and so is grief. Losing people you love to the darkness of war is an unspeakable sorrow, but you are not alone. Your friends are here for you and so am I. Always. I am never leaving your side. I know these emotions frighten you and truthfully, they also frighten me but I know how I feel.” 

“And...how do you feel?” Nat asked carefully as she held her breath. She knew dwarves had heightened senses and she wondered if Theo could feel her heartbeat, because he took her hand and placed it on his chest. To Nat’s surprise, his heart was beating equally as fast and in that moment, the rhythm of both their hearts synced and Nat felt a connection so clear and unlike anything she had ever experienced before. 

“I love  _ you _ , Natalie.” Theo confessed “You are  _ my  _ One and if you would allow me, I wish for a chance to be yours.” 

If Nat’s stomach had been doing loops before, it was nothing compared to what it was right now. All her previous worries and fears about getting emotionally attached to someone in Middle-Earth when her future was so uncertain faded away. Perhaps it was still a foolish idea considering they were in the endgame of the battle against Sauron, but she knew what her heart wanted. For a moment, Nat hinted a bit of fear in Theo’s eyes but the moment she pulled him for a kiss, he relaxed and they both became consumed in the moment. 

* * *

Meriadoc Brandybuck had never seen death up close before and grief was a feeling he wasn’t acquainted with. Hobbits lived at least a century and throughout his lifetime he’d never known anyone who had actually died. During the rare occasions that hobbits held funerals, they were merry occasions and not sad ones. There were gardens in the Shire built over graves of hobbits who had passed away long ago. Their lives were celebrated through songs and stories around the fire at the Green Dragon and not with sadness. Humans however, took death very hard and Merry found it difficult to see his friends suffer. Realising that Riley was gone was a strange thing and the young hobbit wasn’t how to process those feelings. Of course he was sad and his heart ached at the thought of never being able to see Riley again, but more than anything, Merry was sad for Pippin. 

Throughout their lives, Pippin was always the more naive one who always saw life as a joke and got himself into trouble. Since leaving the Shire with Frodo and Sam, things had changed and Merry saw that change in Pippin. In many ways, he was still the same silly Took he’d always known but in many ways, he was a changed hobbit who now understood the world was so much larger than they’d ever known. Since they parted ways with the rest of the fellowship, Pippin looked up to Riley and saw in him a role model. It was funny really, because back in the Shire, Pippin always made a point to avoid the Big Folk.

Traveling with the fellowship had shown both Merry and Pippin that life outside the Shire was beyond anything other hobbits could imagine. Back home, everything was safe and guarded and life just carried on. Out in the big wide world though, a hobbit had to rely on his company to survive and the fellowship had shown Merry that your found family was just as important as the one you were born with. 

It didn’t take Merry long to find Pippin sniffling at the top of a staircase. Hobbits had the perks of being able to sneak away from other races and become almost invisible. A handy talent if you wished to be alone, but it also meant other hobbits could find you. Seeing his best friend so torn up made something break inside Merry. The moment he sat, Pippin’s sniffles turned into a loud sob as he leaned against Merry’s shoulder. 

“It’s alright, he’s at peace now.” Merry said “Nothing can hurt him anymore.”

“He was our friend, Merry.” Pippin cried “I miss him and I don’t want to believe that he’s gone.” 

Merry didn’t want to believe it either, yet he was forced to face the inevitable. Pippin had always been the more emotional out of the two, but this was the first time Merry had seen his friend so genuinely heartbroken. 

“I miss him too, Pip.” Merry said “And he was more than our friend. He looked out for us like a brother.” 

“I hoped he would return to Shire with us and with Bilbo.” Pippin revealed “To live out their days together, just like Bilbo always wanted.” 

“They will find each other again, Little One.” came Boromir’s voice. “And when they do, they will be able to live out the rest of their days, not worrying about the perils of war or of ageing. Of that I am certain.” 

Boromir’s words were comforting and they even stopped Pippin from crying. The blonde haired hobbit looked up at the Captain of Gondor who took a set next to them and lit a pipe. Merry could tell that Boromir had also been crying, not just for the loss of Riley but for the loss of his father, Lord Denethor. Gandalf had told Merry about what happened in the courtyard and it seemed as if things in Minas Tirith had indeed been very interesting over the past few days. 

“D’you really believe that?” Pippin wondered “That they’ll find each other?” 

“Aye, with all my heart.” Boromir nodded and placed his hand on Pippin’s shoulders “Just like I believe that Sauron will pay for all the lives he has taken away from us with his own.” 

Merry could tell from the fire in his eyes that he meant every last word of it, and even if it was the last thing Merry did, he would make sure to fight with every last breath he had. 

* * *

_ Maggie.  _

Elrond’s voice echoed loudly in Maggie’s mind but she couldn’t deal with it right now. For what seemed like ages, her tears just wouldn’t stop and poor Gimli’s beard was drenched completely drenched. Of course, the kind, ginger dwarf didn’t say anything and just held her while stroking her hair. The past few hours had been utter chaos and Maggie felt guilty for Gimli being stuck with her, but he didn’t complain. Eventually, Maggie was so exhausted from all the emotions poured out of her and Gimli gracefully led her back to one of the empty rooms of the King’s Hall where she lay down and fell asleep. She must have been asleep for a few hours when Elrond’s voice woke her up because the sky was darkening outside. 

_ I know you can hear you me, Maggie. I know you are hurting because I feel your pain.  _

After all this time, Maggie thought she would be used to the magic of elves and the fact that it was impossible to hide anything from them. Particularly not Lord Elrond, who besides Fili knew her better than most other people. A thought formed in Maggie’s mind and as much as she hated its existence, she knew she had to ask. 

“You have the power of foresight, Elrond.” Maggie said out loud, knowing Elrond could hear her. “Did you know this was going to happen? 

Silence.

Almost immediately, Maggie’s heart began to beat faster and she didn’t like her instant gut feeling. She loved Elrond with all her heart and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him and Fili, raising their daughter. Elrond always had her best interest at heart and she knew the elf-lord’s feelings for her were true. However, knowing there was a possibility that her lover had foreseen the death of her brother was a realisation Maggie wasn’t sure how to comprehend. Maybe she was just overreacting and maybe there were other reasons behind it. 

“Tell me it’s not true.” Maggie pleaded “Elrond, please tell me you didn’t foresee Riley’s death and did not tell me?” 

_ Meleth-nin, you must understand, I cannot-  _

“No. No, don’t give me the crap about not being able to control your visions!” Maggie interrupted and felt the anger taking over. “You saw and you didn’t tell me. I could have stopped it happening and instead you let my brother die!” 

_ Please understand, that if I believed there was a way to save him, I would not have hesitated to do so. Maggie, you must listen to me. Some things in this world are not for us to control and death is such a thing. I do not have the power to control who lives and who dies, none of us do. I know you are hurting, my love but believe me when I say that I did not wish for Riley to die. I loved him like a brother.  _

“No. No, I’m done listening to you. You saw my brother die and you did nothing. That is just as bad as killing him.” Maggie told him “Get out of my head, Elrond. I do not want to speak with you.” 

_ Maggie…please… _

**_“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”_ **

Elrond’s voice faded away and Maggie felt nothing but exhaustion as she allowed the weight of her body to sink into the mattress. All her previous emotions of sadness and hopelessness washed over her again and a familiar escalation of panic built up inside her. Maggie heard the door open but she didn’t acknowledge the two pairs of footsteps entering the room. 

“Mags..” Felix spoke softly as his warm hand rested on Maggie’s back. “We heard shouting, are you okay?” 

“Elrond knew about Riley’s death.” Maggie sobbed into the pillow. “He knew and he didn’t tell me. He’s supposed to love me, yet he purposely withheld something like that from me.” 

“Oh darling, Elrond  _ does  _ love you with all his heart. He would never purposely make you suffer and even though everything hurts now, I think you know that deep down. Do you remember what Gandalf told us before we set off with the Fellowship in Rivendell? That there are things we know, which we can’t ever share because one should never know too much of one’s future. Elrond would never want to intentionally hurt you and I really believe that if he thought there was a way to save Ri, he would have done everything in his power to do so because he loves you.” 

Maggie knew Felix’s words made sense but she was still furious with Elrond for not telling her. Surviving the pain of losing Thorin was one of the worst things Maggie had ever experienced in her life. Then having to live a normal life on Earth thinking she would never be able to see Theo, Fili or Elrond again. Now her brother was dead and she didn’t know how much more of it she could take. How much more was her family supposed to suffer? Eventually, Maggie pushed herself up from her pillow and sat between Nat and Felix who both had their arms around her. A part of her felt selfish because while she’d lost a brother, they had also lost a friend. 

“I don’t want to believe he’s gone.” Maggie said “I don’t want to believe it, but I know I have to and I just keep wondering why I’m doing this? Why is it worth the lives of those we love? I lost Thorin, I almost lost Theo and now I’ve lost my brother. Yet they still expect us to fight for a world they created and seemingly seem to use as a fucking game of chess for their own amusement. All I want is my brother back and I never will and I’m not sure how I can live through that.” 

“I know it seems impossible now, but it will get better.” Nat told her “It’ll take time but we’re all in this together as a family. You don’t have to go through it alone, Maggie and you better believe that Sauron is going to pay for what he’s taken from us.” 

“Everyone will understand if you’re not up for the fight.” Felix assured her “Especially considering the baby, we wouldn’t want to risk anything jeopardising your daughter’s safety.” 

“No, I’m going to do it.” Maggie said “Sauron thinks he can win over us by using his fear to divide us, but we’re not going to give into him. It’s not what Riley would have wanted.”   
  


Both Felix and Nat nodded in agreement and as Maggie exhaled a deep breath, she knew she had to see this through to the end. No matter how much she was hurting and how angry she was, Sauron was going to regret his actions. 

* * *

Throughout his lifetime, Amandil had encountered death many times and suffered the loss of those he loved and held dear. Yet nothing could prepare him for the reality of losing his youngest son. When Elendil had died, Amandil had already parted from Middle-Earth and of course he still grieved his oldest son like any father would. Riley and Maggie’s life had been vastly different from that of Elendil, who was born and raised in Arda. Actually seeing Riley’s lifeless body being carried into Minas Tirith, was something different entirely. Any parent’s worst nightmare is the thought of your children dying before you. Seeing how distraught Maggie was caused more heartache than Amandil could bear and he wondered what his daughter must have thought about his breakdown. A part of him felt as though he had failed her for not immediately being there for her, but he was overcome with the shock of his son’s death. Amandil hoped that Maggie would understand and made a note to get some time alone with her. 

“Bilbo has passed.” Gandalf revealed as he sat down next to Amandil. The wizard lit his pipe and inhaled its tobacco. “I received a telepathic message from Lord Elrond who said that he passed away peacefully in his sleep.”

“He must have felt that Riley was gone and decided he couldn’t hold on any longer.” Amandil guessed

The past few hours had seen so much death and he knew the passing of Bilbo would cause even more sadness. Still, there was comfort in the thought of Riley and Bilbo finally being able to have the peace he knew they’d sought.    
  
“Aye, they will be together now,” Gandalf said “And I have no doubt even Mahal himself has offered a place for them in his hall, with Thorin..” 

“Gandalf, you have been my friend through many lifetimes.” Amandil said “Tell me something, does it ever get easier? Watching all the suffering caused by the darkness in this world. I have lost two sons. My daughter has lost both a lover and a brother in one lifetime, which is more than anyone should have to suffer. Do the Valar enjoy our struggles?” 

Gandalf remained silent for a while as he blew out smoke rings. Truthfully, Amandil wasn’t sure what sort of an answer he expected from the wizard, but just some sort of comfort. 

“No, they do not enjoy it.” the wizard replied “And no, it does not get easier but we learn to live with it. Young Margaret is strong. She will survive this, just like she always has.” 

“I can’t help but feel like this is my fault.” Amandil sighed, “I hid all of this from them, who I am and our heritage. I never prepared them for what might happen if they ever came here and somehow I knew they always would. This world is so different from what they grew up in and I sent them in blind. I’ve failed them as a father.” 

“No, my old friend. You have not failed as a father, on the contrary I think you are an exemplary parent. Your family has simply been dealt a set of cards and your fate is deeply entwined with that of this world, in ways I’m not yet certain of. The Valar are always watching us and not even I know of their plans, but I do trust that all of it is for a reason.” 

“Let’s hope you’re right, Gandalf.” 

Amandil really hoped the wizard was right. 

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_Yikes, that was the longest chapter I’ve written in a while. It’s now far too late/early and I should be in bed but I really wanted to update this. I hope you enjoyed it, next chapter will be more on track with the plot. Please leave kudos/comments/bookmarks!_ **


	22. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they all prepare for the final plunge...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Hello again! Welcome to another chapter! Sorry this one took a while, life has been busy and I’ve been sick but I’m all good now. We’re almost at the end of the War of the Ring! I have had a really rough time with mental health lately and my anxiety has been through the roof, so writing has been a little slow. I have a few new ideas for fics though and if you like “Castaways”, which I know a lot of you do, please look out on my page for a new story. Anyway, not much to say except, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think!   
> PS If you haven’t seen, I’ve uploaded a new fic set in the same AU called “Millie and the King”. You should check it out :)

**Twenty-Two**

_ Hope  _

Gandalf was tired. 

Truthfully that was an understatement. It was more like a fatigue he could feel in his bones. Riley Spencer was dead and the wizard couldn’t help but feel he’d let both him and his sister down. All those years ago, when they first found themselves in Trollshaw with Thorin and Company, he had promised to keep them safe. A promise had not been able to keep. 

From the very first time he’d met the Spencer siblings, he’d known that their fate was forever tied to that of this world. Not even Gandalf the White could have guessed how, but now he understood more. At such a young age, both Riley and Margaret Spencer had witnessed so much death and sorrow, yet they continued to live their lives. Finding yourself in a strange land believed to be fiction, was a reality most people would have struggled to accept. Yet, those two embraced it and thus the dwarven company of Thorin Oakenshield adopted them as part of their kin. 

Gandalf was pretty sure Maggie and Riley didn’t know it, but he had kept a close watch on theme throughout the year. He saw them truly become the truest versions of themselves and he knew their father Amandil was proud. If it wasn’t for Riley, Gandalf would have stood no chance against the Necromancer at Dol Goldur. It was Riley who showed him how remarkable hobbits truly were. Not even he could have guessed Bilbo Baggins of all hobbits would fall in love and even marry a human. Riley and Maggie’s presence in Middle-Earth had and would play a crucial part in the growing alliances between men, elves and dwarves. If Theo took over as king of Erebor, due to his alliance with Gondor would undoubtedly shape the fate of Middle-Earth forever. 

Assuming Sauron was defeated and they all survived this. 

Maggie had not looked Gandalf in the eyes since they brought back his body from Pelennor fields. He wondered if it was out of fear or out of anger and disappointment. Nonetheless, she sat in the throne room of Minas Tirith with the others. Even after so many lives had been lost on the battlefield, including King Théoden, the Fellowship and its allies remained resolute.

Perhaps that was enough. 

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight.” Gandalf said quietly “The darkness is deepening."

"Well that's comforting," Felix muttered quietly under his breath. 

They were all gathered in the throne room for a meeting, A decision needed to be made about how to proceed. Gandalf knew Felix, Nat and Maggie were all concerned about Laura and her journey with Frodo and Sam. The wizard truly wished he could provide them with some form of comfort but alas, he could not. Frodo had passed beyond his sight and that meant there was nothing he could do to help them. The three of them only had each other to rely on and Gandalf hoped that would be enough.

"If Sauron had the ring we would know it," Aragorn said. His voice showed less concern and normally, Gandalf would have admired it, but now he felt hopeless. 

"It's only a matter of time," Gandalf continued "Sauron may have suffered a defeat but behind the gates of Mordor the enemy is regrouping."

"Let him stay there," Gimli said "Let him rot! Why should we care?"

Gandalf’s eyes travelled across the room and studied each member of the fellowship carefully. Maggie stood next to Legolas, Felix and Éomer but she said nothing. Theo had his arms wrapped around Natalie and the two hobbits carefully observed everyone else in the corner. Pippin would suffer nightmares for years to come, but Merry seemed to be handling everything well. It didn’t surprise Gandalf, he’d always been the more levelheaded of the two. 

"Because 10,000 orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom,” Gandalf explained “I've sent him to his death."

The guilt nearly suffocated him. 

"That still doesn't mean we should just give up though," Felix told them. "We've come too damn far to stop fighting. Frodo, Sam and Laura are still out there, we can't give up on them. If we give up now we give Sauron what he wants more than anything. What’s worse, it means we give up on Frodo. It means we give up on those who fought with us and those we're fighting for. If we stop fighting it means Riley died for nothing."

A heavy silence filled the room for a while but nobody could deny that Felix had a point. They had sacrificed too much to let Sauron win when Frodo was so close to Mount Doom. Legolas placed his hand on Felix’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. At least something good had come out of this awfulness, Gandalf thought. 

"Felix is right," It was Aragorn who broke the silence. "There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that." he told them

"How?" Gimli asked sceptically as he kept smoking his pipe

"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate." Maggie, Felix and Nat exchanged glances. None of them seemed sure what they thought about this plan but it was a plan and at the moment it was all they had.

"We can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's eyes fixed on us. Keep him blind to all else that moves."

Up until now, Legolas had been silent but Gandalf saw a slight grin of approval on his face as Aragorn's plan became clear. "A diversion." said the elf.

Yet again, Gandalf’s eyes fell on Maggie who stood leaning against the wall. As she exhaled a fatigued sigh, she sank down to the ground and hugged her knees. 

"Maggie, if you don't feel up to this, nobody will blame you. I mean, for god's sake, you are pregnant, a very real thing we have to consider." Nat said 

"No," Maggie shook her head "I'm going to do this. I  _ need _ to do this. It's what Riley would have wanted and I will be  _ damned _ if anyone tries to convince me otherwise."

Nobody argued.

"Well then," said Gimli "Certainty of death. Small chance of success; what are we waiting for?"

It was all agreed, and as everyone left the throne room, Gandalf waited until only he and Maggie were left. She turned to the wizard as if she was expecting his company. She had a very serious look in her eyes when she walked up to him with her arms crossed over her chest. Gandalf remembered so clearly his impressions of the young woman who had been captured by trolls sixty years earlier. Back then, he’d seen a fighting spirit in her but she was still young and had a lot of growing to do. Now, she was a fine young woman, a mother, wife and Gandalf had no doubt in his mind that she would be a great queen of Erebor. Both Riley and Bilbo were proud of Maggie and how far she had come. Not many people could suffer through so much grief and come out stronger. 

“I know what you’re going to say.” Maggie began, rather defensively.

“Is that so?” Gandalf said and raised an eyebrow, “What is it you think I’m going to say, Maggie? Do you think I’m going to stop you from fighting? You have made up your mind already and I am in no position to change it. Do you remember what I told you all those years ago, before you left Rivendell with Thorin?” 

“Yes. You said you would protect us no matter what happens and no matter where you are.

“I would be untruthful if I didn’t tell you I feel like I have failed.” Gandalf said, “Though, sometimes, I have been the one in need of your protection. Your brother saved my life once and you are both very dear to me. I will protect you and your unborn daughter, until my dying breath.” 

Maggie gently stroked Gandalf’s cheeks and he embraced her in a heartfelt hug. He wiped the silent tears streaming down her face and smiled at her, as if to say everything would be fine. 

At least he desperately hoped they would be.

* * *

Shortly after the meeting when they had all split up to prepare themselves, for what was to come, Maggie heard sobbing. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw Pippin leaning against the wall crying. Maggie had been too busy to deal with her own emotion; she hadn't even considered how Merry and Pippin must be feeling about Riley's death. After all, the three of them had been through a lot together ever since the breaking of the fellowship and they must've become very close. In fact, Maggie knew they had.

"Pippin? Are you alright?" The young Took dried his tears when Maggie came to sit down next to him.

"He saved us," Pippin said quietly "After we left Lorien. He stayed with us. He didn't have to but he did it anyway. He was our friend. It just doesn't seem fair."

"Oh Pippin," Maggie found herself crying again and it seemed like there was no end to the tears. "It isn't fair but all we can do is to take comfort in knowing that he is in a better place now. That he's at peace. And that he died fighting for what he believed in."

"Aye," said Pippin "And that means we can fight for him now doesn't it?"

Maggie couldn't help but to smile because Pippin was right. They were going to fight for him.

* * *

Felix was restless. He had so much adrenaline pumping through his veins that he didn’t know what to do with it. Strangely enough, it reminded him of the energy just before a football game. So many different emotions whirled around in his mind and he channeled all of it towards one common goal. Getting rid of Sauron. That was the only thing that mattered now. Aragorn had made a plan and they were going to follow it through to the end, no matter what it cost him. Felix wouldn’t let Riley’s death be for nothing and he was going to fight until either Sauron died or he did. They were just waiting for Aragorn’s signal and then they would march to the Black Gate. 

The Black Gate. 

As a child, Felix recalled how he would cower behind a pillow whenever Maggie and Riley’s father described it to them. He still remembered how frightened he was when the Mouth of Sauron rode out to greet the Fellowship. Knowing he would face the horrors of Mordor in person was a strange thing to accept, but he was there now and all he could do was accept it.

“You should relax,” Legolas said matter-of-factly as watched Felix impatiently pace back and forth. “There is no point 

“Yeah? ‘Las, I am about to face my literal goddamned childhood nightmare .” Felix said “Forgive me if I’m a little bit on edge.” 

“Anyone would be,” came Éomer’s voice as he emerged from the doorway of the stables. “We are all frightened. Even the son of Thranduil, even though he does not admit it.” 

The last thing Felix needed right now, was another stand-off between Éomer and Legolas. He had made his choice and he knew it was the right one. Felix loved Legolas and he knew his feelings were reciprocated and there was nothing Éomer could do or say to change his mind. Right now, they all needed to stand together and not against each other. When the horse master walked right up to Legolas, Felix half expected to have to come between them. Instead, the unexpected happened. 

“You are a good elf, Legolas Greenleaf.” Éomer said “Treat him well. He deserves as much.”

Éomer offered his hand to Legolas and Felix held his breath until the elf-prince shook it. 

“I will.” Legolas said “You are a good man also and I have no doubt you will find someone to whom your heart will belong.” 

* * *

Sometime later, they were all ready and marched to the Black Gate with what was left of their own army. Maggie looked up at the Black Gate and found herself a little overwhelmed; no words could describe the gateway to Mordor, the most evil place in this world. For years, Sauron had actively tormented and sought to end their family. First, he thought he succeeded with her father but the Valar had granted him another chance at life when he washed up on Earth. Then, her brother Elendil lost his life in battle. Even though Maggie had never met Elendil or grown up with him, she still felt kinship towards him. Then, Riley had died. No matter how much she wanted to, Maggie knew the Valar wouldn’t send her brother back, because he was supposed to die. Somehow, his death played an important role in the shaping of this world and she couldn’t change that. That thought alone was as massive and intimidating as the Black Gate of Mordor in front of her. She breathed in a closed her eyes, thinking of Fili and Elrond, longing for such a time when they could all be reunited again. She placed her hand on her pregnant stomach, praying the Valar would keep her daughter safe. 

"Let the Lord of the Black Lands come forth! Let justice be done upon him!" Aragorn cried out. As soon as Aragorn had spoken, the gate slowly creaked and opened. Maggie, Nat and Felix all shivered when they realised who the rider sent out to them was.

"My Master, Sauron the Great bids thee welcome. Is there any in this route with authority to treat me?" hissed the Voice of Sauron

"We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed!" Gandalf told him "Tell your Master this. The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart this land never to return. "

The rider only hissed and let out a sly sort of laughter. "Old Greybeard; I have a token to show thee." He reached into his pockets and got out Mithril, the golden shirt Frodo had inherited from Bilbo. Maggie turned to Gandalf and saw that the wizard was trying to remain calm.

"Frodo!" Merry cried out

"Silence!" Gandalf told them

"The Halfling was dear to thee I see. Know that he suffered greatly in the hands of our host." Hissed the Voice and laughed again "Who would have thought one so small could endure so much pain."

"He's lying." Maggie said "Aragorn. Frodo's alive. They all are. He's trying to scare us."

Aragorn looked at Maggie and then rode forward.

"And who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more than an elvish blade to—" the sentence never got finished because Aragorn cut off his head without a second's warning and it made everyone jump. The gate opened again and they rode back to the rest of the army.

"Sons of Rohan! Sons of Gondor! My brothers!" Aragorn shouted. The marching footsteps of the orcs came closer but that didn't seem to bother him in the least. "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break  _ all bonds of fellowship _ . But it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of Men come crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth…"

Aragorn locked his eyes with Maggie and she knew what he meant. "I bid you stand, Men of the West!" Sauron's army, which was far greater than theirs, was circling them and only then did Nat realise how incredibly, ridiculously outnumbered they were.

"I never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf," Gimli said and Nat could swear she heard him trying to hold back his tears

Legolas grinned "How about side by side with a friend?" he asked

"Aye," Gimli nodded "I could do that."

"That makes me cry every single bloody time." Nat whispered to Felix and Maggie

They stood there, what was left of the fellowship

"For Frodo." Aragorn told them

"For Laura." Nat said

"For Riley." Maggie added

And then they charged forward, to the last and final battle.

  
  
**_To be continued_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_There we go! Another chapter and we're a little closer to the end now. Next chapter will follow Laura, Sam and Frodo! Thank you for all the kudos! Please let me know what you thought about it in the comments section below_ **


	23. Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are many endings...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Well howdy! Another update, what d’you know! There’ll be a few “post-movie” chapters after the end of ROTK just to wrap up this part of the journey. Fret not, Maggie and co will be back :) Not much else to say except, let’s dive right into it! 

**Twenty-Three**

_ Endings  _

“Look Mr Frodo, a doorway!" 

Laura could hardly believe her eyes. After all those months and all the hardships, they were actually standing by the entrance to Mount Doom. In her mind, she had conjured up all sorts of images about this moment. Truthfully, nothing could have possibly prepared her this. Ever since the breaking of the Fellowship, finding their way to Mordor alone seemed an impossible task. Yet somehow, they were there at last. Her, Sam and Frodo. It was hard to think that almost a year ago, her life was so mundane and all she worried about was having enough money to get by each month. Now, she stood there with two hobbits from the Shire who had become her family. 

Whatever else happened next, Laura knew their bond would never break. The reality of being in a literal volcano began to make itself known as Laura began to cough from the smell of sulphur. The suffocating heat made breathing a struggle and the climb up the mountain was far more arduous than she expected. Laura looked at Sam who was carrying Frodo on his shoulders and she hoped that they would make it in time. Glancing towards the mountain, Laura suddenly felt very small not only because it was intimidating but because she was aware of the power within it. When Laura turned to Sam she saw his eyes widened and he called out to her.

"LAURA!" Before Laura was able to react, Gollum had grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. She cursed and tried grabbing Gollum but he leapt onto Sam and pulled Frodo off his shoulder.

"Mustn't go that way," Gollum hissed in a sinister voice. 

Even though Laura had encountered orcs and other foul creatures this world had to offer, there was nobody she hated as much as she hated Gollum. She would never forgive him for how he had manipulated Frodo just because his own greed desperately wanted the ring. Nothing could redeem him for that. 

"NO!" Frodo shouted as she pushed Gollum off him and Laura watched with dread as Gollum got back up onto his feet and headed back to Frodo when Sam suddenly rushed forward and attacked him.

"SAM!"

"Go after Frodo!" Sam told her

Frodo ran towards the entrance and Laura ran after him, using whatever bits of energy she had left in her body. Even if it caused her her own life, she wouldn’t let Frodo’s struggles be for nothing. 

"I'm here Laura." Frodo stood at the very edge of mount doom, looking right into the fires below him. Laura saw him holding the ring in his hand, playing with it. Even though her friend locked eyes with her, Laura could tell that the hobbit standing there with his ring over the fires of Mount Doom, he was nothing but a shell of the Frodo who had left Rivendell. 

"DESTROY IT!" Sam had caught up with them and stood next to Laura. She could see he was bleeding from his fight with Gollum but that didn't seem to bother him in the least. Frodo held out the ring right over the edge and Laura felt her heart beating so fast she could swear it was going to leap right out of her chest. Laura couldn't tell how long they'd been standing there because it felt like time ceased to exist. But Frodo never let go of the ring; instead, he turned around to Sam and Laura and said the unthinkable.

"No.” said the hobbit as his hand closed around the ring. “The ring is mine"

Tears began streaming down Laura's eyes as a feeling of raw helplessness washed over her. She didn't know what to do. All of a sudden, that feeling of being small came back to her and she felt out of place in this world. Why had the Valar decided to put her and her friends in Middle-Earth? Why was she the one to follow Frodo and Sam on the most dangerous path of them all? There was nothing special about her. She didn’t come from a long line of nobility like Riley and Maggie. She wasn’t a brave police officer like Nat. She didn’t have a heart of courage like Felix. Hell, unlike the others, she didn’t know much at all about Middle-Earth. She was just Laura Ainsley, who graduated with average grades and never particularly liked academics.She was happy with her job in the old library archives and enjoyed the simplicity of life. Why couldn’t she have that back? But then, Laura thought, if she hadn’t found herself in Middle-Earth she wouldn’t have met Boromir - the man she knew was her soulmate, if there truly was such a thing. Without Middle-Earth, she would never have known about Maggie and Riley’s past and she would never have met Frodo Baggins or Samwise Gamgee. Laura knew then that she couldn't let Frodo give up everything they fought for. 

"Frodo you can't do this! You can't keep the ring!” Laura called out after him “Not after all we've been fighting for and everything we’ve been through! I used to think I didn’t know what my place was in all this! I used to think I didn’t belong because everyone else had their path set in stone! Maggie and Riley have their family here, Felix found his place as a warrior and Nat found Theo! I know now that I was sent here so that I could help you and Sam! My place was always supposed to be by  _ your  _ side! No matter what else happens you two are my family and I love you! If you listen to the will of Sauron, all of that becomes undone! Frodo, you need to throw it into the fire!" she shouted

Laura heard the crackling of the fire but Frodo didn’t reply. Instead, he looked up at her, with his face covered in ash and scratches from Gollum’s attack. And then, just when Laura thought she might have reached through to him, Frodo Baggins pulled the ring off the chain, slipped it onto his finger and disappeared.

"NOOOOOO!" The look of complete and utter devastation in Sam's eyes broke Laura's heart more than anything. All this way and then this. She didn't want to believe it. Even though she couldn't see Frodo, Laura still heard his footsteps around him and tried to follow the sound until she turned around and saw Sam unconscious on the ground and saw Gollum looking up at her. For a moment she thought he was going to attack her but instead he headed straight for the edge of the mountain and jumped on what Laura assumed was the invisible Frodo and then bit him

Laura felt as though her whole world was falling apart beneath her feet. She saw Gollum holding the ring in his hands, dancing around with it as if nothing could take it away from him. The look in the creature’s eye was nothing but childish glee. She knelt down next to the unconscious Sam and desperately tried to wake him up and at the same time she saw Frodo getting back up onto his feet, walking towards Gollum.

"Sam, wake up! Please god wake up!" Laura nudged Sam and eventually the blonde hobbit opened his and looked at Laura, slightly dazed and confused. Laura didn't say anything but she didn't have to, Sam could see for himself. Frodo and Gollum both fought hand to hand or the ring and then, to both Sam and Laura's horror, they both fell over the edge. Sam shot up and both him and Laura ran to the edge. Frodo was still holding on but Laura was never going to be able to forget the sight in front of her. Gollum was slowly disintegrating in front of her and when he was gone the ring remained in the fire for a few mere moments until it eventually melted away into the fire it had been made from.

The ring was destroyed.

* * *

The battle seemed to never end and it no matter how many orcs Felix decapitated or sliced, more kept on coming. Fatigue wasn’t enough to describe how exhausted he was but he still kept going because if he gave up, all was lost. Felix would keep fighting until his dying breath if it meant Frodo, Sam and Laura stood even a single chance of escaping Mount Doom with their lives. Felix heard his friends around him and saw Maggie in the corner of his eyes fighting for what her life was worth and he prayed to whatever gods might hear him that her baby would survive this. All those months ago, on that rainy night in Cardiff, there was no way he would have thought this is where he'd end up. On a battlefield in Middle-Earth fighting for what he believed in and the people he loved. 

Felix saw Legolas, the love of his life, fighting side by side with Aragorn and Boromir and he knew that if they both survived this, he would never second guess his feelings. Theo and Nat both fought in front of Maggie and Felix knew Theo was giving his all to not only protect his world, but the life of his mother and unborn sister. Seeing Maggie and Theo’s relationship as mother and son grow from being distant to as close as they were, was something that choked him up just thinking about it. Wherever Riley was now, Felix knew that his best friend would be proud of his sister. Hell, he’d be proud of all of them. 

Suddenly, a familiar and unfortunate shrill cry in the air snapped Felix out of his thoughts and he knew things were about to get a whole lot worse. Out of all the creatures Middle-Earth had to offer, the Nazgul and their Fellbeasts were the worst of them. 

"Great, just what we need. Nazguls." Felix saw the Nazguls flying closer towards them but then something happened that he hadn't expected. Almost from out of nowhere, an eagle came and put his claws right into the Nazguls. Felix turned around to Gandalf and saw the wizard grinning, in the sly wizardly way when he knew something that nobody else did. 

"Eagles!" Pippin shouted "The eagles are coming!"

Hope was still on their side.

At first, Felix wasn’t sure what happened because it took him by such surprise. The sonic boom knocked her and everybody else off their feet and caused a massive rift in the ground which became the death of a majority of the orcs. The Black Gate crumbled into a million pieces and was destroyed. It was only when Felix saw Sauron's tower falling and that the eye was gone that he realised that Frodo must have done it. The ring was destroyed. Felix heard Merry and Pippin cheering loudly but the cheering stopped when they all realised that Mount Doom was falling apart in front of their eyes and that their friends were still up there.

Felix nat and Maggie looked at each other, all of them thinking the same thing.

"…Laura."

* * *

"I never thought this was how I would die." Laura hardly dared looking at the flowing lava around them. It all seemed a bit too surreal but she was starting to accept the fact that this was it. They lay there, all three of them on the rock and Laura couldn’t believe that they had complete the mission. The Ring was destroyed and with that, Sauron’s power. It was just such a shame they wouldn’t live to see the aftermath of the quest. Laura felt Frodo taking her hand and looked at her with a smile. It was the kind of smile she hadn't seen on him in a very long time.

"I can see the Shire," he told them "Brandywine River. Bag End. Gandalf's Fireworks." Laura could see it too and she wished that she would have had a chance to see it herself; the home that the Hobbits spoke about so dearly. It was strange, Laura thought, because even though she could see her home too she felt like her family was still here. The Fellowship had become her family.

“I miss Boromir. I miss his smell, his smile and hearing him talk about his home.” Laura said “I miss my friends and being able to catch up about all the daft things we’ve done. Laughing about old forgotten memories and how life used to be.” 

"Rosie Cotton dancing. She had ribbons in her hair." Sam sobbed "If ever I was to marry someone, it would have been her. It would have been her." They all cried and Frodo put his arms around his friend.

"I'm glad to be with you Samwise Gamgee and you Laura; here at the end of all things."

_ So am I,  _ Laura thought,  _ so am I.  _ Laura closed her eyes and felt herself drifting off to some kind of restless sleep and in the distances, she thought she could hear the sounds of birds crying.

* * *

_ Laura didn't know where she was but she knew it had to be a dream. She could tell because her surroundings were sort of white and foggy and very Harry Potter-esque. It was as though she was at the bit of the Deathly Hallows when Harry meets Dumbledore on Platform 9 ¾. Except, it wasn't Dumbledore standing in front of her, it was Riley. Laura knew then that she must have been right back in Mordor and known that something had happened. _

_ "Riley? Oh god, you're…" _

_ "Dead? Yeah, I'm sorry you had to find out this way." Riley told her. Strangely, Laura didn't feel sad because by seeing Riley, she knew that he was alright, that he was in peace. _

_ "Am _ I _ dead?" she asked _

_ Riley shook his head "No, you're not dead. You have so much to live for and your future is full of so many good things. Besides, there's a man who cannot wait to see and when he asks you to marry him, I hope you’ll say yes." _

_ Laura was crying again but Riley wiped her tears away. It had been such a long time since she had seen him and she didn't have to guess twice about the man he referred to.  _

_ "What  _ am _ I doing here, Ri?" she asked _

_ Riley sat down next to her and when Laura looked at him his face fell a little. _

_ "I need you to tell Maggie not to blame herself for this one.” He explained “She needs to know that none of this was her fault. This was always meant to happen; this was always meant to be my fate. I knew that way back in Rivendell all those years ago when she was pregnant with Theo." _

_ "Why can't you tell her?" Laura asked _

_ "If I come to her, if she sees me, she'll never be able to let me go. You know how she is, she lingers and it would eat her up. Thorin’s death nearly killed her and I would never be able to forgive myself if mine caused her that much grief. I know you're all hurting and I am so sorry for leaving you but this is how it has to be. The world goes on and I'll still be there, looking over you. I'll never really leave. I love all of you. Make sure they know?" _

_ Even though it hurt, Laura knew that Riley was right. She nodded and Riley smiled at her as he pulled her in for a long hug. _

_ "I'm never going to see you like this again am I?" Laura asked _

_ Riley grinned, that same mischievous grin he always had when he was up to something. "Oh, you never really know what might happen. By the way, tell Maggie there’s a message for her, just like there was when I left Erebor. She’ll know exactly what I mean" _

_ And before Laura knew it, everything faded out and Riley was gone again. _

* * *

“You really think I’m showing  _ that  _ much?” 

“That’s not what he meant, Mags. You know ‘Las, he isn’t particularly known for his tact.” 

“This pregnancy, I swear….” 

Laura awoke to the sound of familiar voices and could hardly believe it. Her eyelids were still heavy with fatigue, but when they finally flickered open and her vision cleared she saw three familiar faces sitting by the side of her bed. Felix, Maggie and Nat all looked like they had been through hell and then some. It took Laura a few moments to embrace her surroundings. She was in a bright room, with large bay windows shining in the first rays of the morning sun. First, she moved her hands, just to check that her bones were all intact and while she still ached, Laura felt alright. She was tired and a little drowsy but she was alive. 

“You’re pregnant?” 

“OH MY GOD! LAURA!” 

Last time Laura had seen her friends had been just as the Fellowship parted ways at the great river Andúin. It was only natural that things would have changed over the past few months, but a pregnancy wasn’t something Laura expected. When they heard her voice, it took all of five seconds before her three friends basically attacked her with hugs. Embracing them all again was such a relief and it felt almost unreal. 

“Guys, breathing.” Laura teased as they let go of her. 

They all looked so different. Somehow they all seemed older and wiser. Laura wondered what their journeys had been like and she couldn’t wait to hear everything, but she knew there were other things to talk about. 

"Felix, are you crying?" Maggie asked

Felix dried away his tears. "It's just been a long time since all of us have been together." he said

"Yeah, not all of us." Maggie said and when her eyes widened, Laura realised they still thought she didn’t know about Riley. "Oh god Laura…you don't know."

"That Riley's dead?" she said "I already know." The other three looked at her with puzzled expressions because they couldn't understand how she could possibly have known.

"How…?" Felix asked

"I know this is going to sound crazy but I saw him. When I was unconscious, he came to me in a sort of a vision, I guess. He, uhm, he actually had a message for you Maggie."

"What did he say?" Maggie asked

"He wants you to know that he's at peace. That's he's happy and that you mustn’t blame yourself for what happened, because it was always meant to happen. Riley has known for a long time that he was the one the prophecy talked about. He loves you, all of us and he wants us to know that he'll always be looking out for us. Him, Bilbo and Thorin."

At the mention of Thorin’s name, Maggie began to cry and Laura knew she was hurting. For a moment they sat there in silence, but as it always was with them, it was never an uncomfortable silence. 

"I miss him." Nat whispered. It felt so empty, not to have Riley there.

"We all do," Felix said "I don't think that will ever go away. I don't think it's meant to."

"I'm sorry," Laura said "God I feel like I've missed so much, but there’s one more thing Riley wanted me to pass on, Maggie. He said that he left something for you in the same place as he did in Erebor.” 

Maggie’s eyes lit up and she began to rummage through a satchel bag on the floor. Then, she pulled out an old smartphone and Laura knew it was the one Riley left behind all those years ago. In Rivendell, Maggie told them that Theo used to keep to look at old photographs of her and Riley and that their dad taught him how to use it. Somehow, with thanks to Gandalf’s magic, the phone was still working after all this time. Maggie scrolled through the phone and after a while, she pressed something on the display and to all their surprises, Riley’s voice began to speak. 

_ “Hi guys, this is such a cliché but if you’re hearing this it means I didn’t mean it. I know you’re all hurting and I am so sorry for leaving you behind. I used to think that perhaps there was a way for me to outlive the prophecy but ever since I first read it, I knew. Seeing Bilbo in Rivendell after all that time was a blessing I never thought I’d receive and that is also when I knew the Valar had other plans for me.  _

_ Even if I survived the war and lived, Bilbo would not and I cannot imagine my life without him. Bilbo’s life and mine have always been entwined, even before we realised it and I knew that if I died in battle, at least I would be with Bilbo. Just as we promised each other on our wedding day. Maggie, I know you’re hurting and I know you’re angry with the Valar. Please believe me when I say that this was the only outcome and if my sacrifice means that you get to live on, then it will have been worth it. You’re my sister Maggie and I love you. You’ve always said that you don’t know what you’d do without me, but truthfully, out of the two of us, I’ve definitely needed you the most. _

_ Without you, I’d still be an utter mess when dad first left all those years ago. Without you, I wouldn’t have survived the Five Armies, nor would I have had the courage to admit my feelings for Bilbo. Without you Maggie, none of this would have been worth it. I know you’re in pain and I know you’re scared, but you’re going to be fine, just like you always are. You, Fee and Elrond are going to have a beautiful daughter and you’ll finally have the life you guys have always wanted, together. I love you Maggie and you know what, we’ll always be with you, watching from Mahal’s Hall. Bilbo, Thorin and I. Hey by the way, I thought of a name for your daughter, what about Eira? That was always one of mum’s favorite names.”  _

The recording ended quite abruptly and Maggie wiped away the tears streaming down her face. Laura had lost a friend but she couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose a brother. Yet, they all knew Riley was where he wanted to be, living out the rest of his days with Bilbo in peace as they were always meant to. That knowledge made her happy and even though it would take a while to grieve and accept his passing, everything would be alright. 

“Ahem….” 

Laura knew that voice. Immediately, her heart began to race and a million butterflies did loops in her stomach. She was almost too afraid to look up, but when she did, she saw Boromir standing in the doorway. Laura could hardly believe it. After all this time, he was still there and he was still alive. 

“You know what guys,” Felix said “I believe we have a coronation to prepare for.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” Nat asked. “I’ve been waiting months for this moment and you want us to---I mean, uhm, yeah sure. Coronation, stuff to prepare, dresses to pick out, booze to drink.” 

Laura caught Maggie’s eyes as she winked at her before leaving with the other two. Then, for the first time in a long while, it was just her and Boromir in the room. 

“Hi….” Laura said carefully

“Hello.” 

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_There we go, another chapter done. We’re almost at the end but a few more to go! Leave a comment and let me know what you thought!_ **


	24. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maggie and her dad have a father/daughter moment and there is a coronation....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Hello guys! Firstly, I am SO SORRY. I honestly had no idea it had been so long since my last update. As always, life has been hectic but we’re almost at the end. We’re going to wrap things up and then we’ll carry on with the next part of the installment. The sequel to ABOF will be running parallel to Millie and the King, which you should totally check out! 
> 
> Anyway, without further ado - on with the show!

**Twenty-Four**

_ Beginnings  _

Later that night, Maggie walked through the corridors of King’s Hall and for the first time since arriving in Minas Tirith, she was able to truly take in its grandeur. After all, these were the halls of her ancestors and a part of her heritage. Just like in Rivendell, the walls were covered in gigantic and impressive murals that depicted ancient battles of long ago. Maggie wondered if years down the line, someone would paint a mural of their battles or if it would eventually be forgotten by time. No matter what happened, Maggie knew she would never be able to forget everything that had happened since they joined the Fellowship. It was a part of their history now and if she allowed herself to forget even the painful events, it would sully the memories of those who had not survived. 

Just like Théoden and Riley. 

At some point, Maggie realised she was lost and the flickering light of her lantern wasn’t doing much to help her. She turned around, hoping that tracing back her footsteps would put her in the right direction, but as she did a mural at the very end of this hallway caught her attention. The painting was enormous and covered most of the wall of that hallway and all the way up to the roof. It must have taken ages to complete and when she studied the mural in more detail, she realised it was also depicting an ancient battle. In the middle of the battlefield stood a man whose age was difficult to determine, but he had the same curly dark hair as she and her brother did. In fact, upon closer inspection, he looked a lot like their father and Maggie realised who it was. 

“Elendil,” she whispered “I wonder what you were like and what you’d think about all of this.”

“He was always kind, just like his mother.” came Amandil’s voice. “In many ways, he was a better man than I ever raised him to be. You all have that in common and I know he’d be proud of both of you. Just like I am.” 

Maggie turned around to her father who embraced her into a tight hug and just like that, tears began to stream down her face again. Acknowledging Riley’s death was hard and she was able to keep a strong face in front of the others while they were also grieving, but now that it was just her dad, she allowed herself to cry. 

“I miss him, dad.” Maggie sobbed “I feel so lost without him, Riley was my best friend. It doesn’t seem fair that our family should have to keep sacrificing so much.” 

“I know, darling.” Amandil said as he stroked Maggie’s hair. “It may be little comfort now because the grief is strong, but it will get easier over time. Believe me, I know.”

“The worst part is, we can’t even tell mum. She’s still on Earth, thinking you’re dead and I don’t even know if time has passed since Riley and I left and now he’s gone and she’ll never know. We just left her behind.” 

“I have a feeling she already knows. The Valar have a way of making these things known to others. Besides, your mother is a strong woman and she will be fine. That isn’t to say I don’t miss her every day.” 

So did Maggie and even though she knew she had made the right choice by staying in Middle-Earth, she still couldn’t help but wonder what life would look like if she was at home. Riley would still be alive and their friends would be with them. Perhaps by some miracle, their dad wouldn’t have gotten sick in the first place and the whole family would be together, laughing at dinner time as if nothing had changed. Deep down though, Maggie also knew it was unfair thinking because she was happy with her choices. If she hadn’t come to Middle-Earth she wouldn’t have met Thorin and they wouldn’t have made Theo. She wouldn’t have fallen in love with Fili and Elrond. If she hadn’t come to Middle-Earth a second time, she wouldn’t have been reunited with her son nor become pregnant with her daughter. Even in the midst of all the pain, Maggie was excited to become a mother again, knowing that this time she wouldn’t be robbed of a chance to experience all that motherhood had to offer. Above all, she knew that Riley wanted her to have that and the best way to honor his memory was to carry on living and raise her daughter with Fili and Elrond. 

At the thought of Elrond, a sigh escaped Maggie’s lips and she realised their last conversation had been all but friendly on her part. 

“I think I’ve screwed up, Dad.” Maggie said “And I’m not sure how to fix it.” 

“You and Elrond had a fight?” Amandil guessed, “I heard about that and I was also surprised, because as far as I’m aware, you two don’t really fight. What happened?” 

Maggie had been so consumed by all her grief and had taken it out on the one person who would never purposely hurt her. Maggie knew that choosing to marry Fili would cause some changes in their relationship and it was something they hadn’t had time to explore considering the war. Communication had always been something they were all good at and truthfully, Maggie felt ashamed over her reaction. She knew that she would have to speak with Elrond about it eventually, but she also knew it would have to be after the coronation because Arwen would be arriving. 

“Elrond had a vision about Riley’s death and he didn’t tell me.” Maggie explained “I got so angry with him that I told him to get out my head and that I never wanted to speak with him. After all these years, you’d think I know he hasn’t got an ounce of malice in him.”

“Relationships aren’t easy, Maggie.” Amandil said “Especially not one that involves three people and I imagine now that you’re married to Fili, your dynamic has somewhat changed. It’s not really my place to say so, but perhaps it’s worth you three having a serious conversation about that, given you’ll probably move to Erebor after all this? You know this already but Elrond is kind and forgiving. He will understand that you spoke out of grief and not out of hatred of him, but when he gets here, speak with him. Life is too short to hold grudges and hide in anger.” 

Maggie nodded and knew her dad was right. Amandil kissed his daughter on the forehead and also exhaled a sigh. Even with the tragedy and loss of war, Maggie knew their bond would grow stronger and she was grateful that her dad was there. Shortly afterwards, Amandil escorted Maggie back to her bedroom, because it turned out she was definitely lost. She closed the door behind her, stifled a yawn and when she turned around from the doorway, a familiar and handsome blonde-haired dwarf stood in the middle of the bedroom. Seeing her husband brought Maggie immense relief and she wondered how long he’d been there. The last time they had seen each other was at Dunharrow, which seemed like age ago. Fili looked well and seemed to be recovering from his injury, no doubt due to Elrond’s healing. For a moment, they said nothing and Maggie just walked into her husband’s arms, allowing herself to be embraced by his comfort as she inhaled his familiar scent. She wondered if he knew about Riley, but assumed he probably did. 

“I have missed you,  _ givashel _ .” Fili murmured into Maggie’s hair as he tightened his grip around her waist. The steady beat of his heart echoed loudly against her ear and lulled her into a deep sense of safety. Nothing could harm her when she was with Fili, and Elrond for that matter, and in that moment Maggie realised how much she was looking forward to starting their lives just like they had always wanted. 

“I’ve missed you too, Fee. More than I can put into words.” Maggie replied “I can’t wait to go home with you and Elrond. That is, assuming he’ll forgive me after all the awful things I said.” 

“One argument and words spoken in the heat of a moment isn’t going to sully things between you, my love. Come, let us go to bed, I would like to hear our daughter’s heartbeat and enjoy the company of my wife.”

That, Maggie thought, was definitely something she could get used to. 

* * *

Minas Tirith had never been so alive before. There was a sense of comradery and celebration in the air Nat had never experienced before and it was amazing. On second thought, it was a little akin to graduating from university, with that same ecstatic atmosphere and celebrating your new found freedom. Middle-Earth was finally free from Sauron’s reign of terror and Nat couldn’t believe that she and the others were a part of that history. Riley’s passing left a big empty space in their group, but she knew deep down that he would be proud of them. That morning had been spent frantically trying to find the right dresses to wear with Laura and Maggie for the occasion and laughing about silly things for the first time in ages. Allowing themselves to just be live and be silly instead of having to worry about the perils of war and all the misery it brought. Despite all the sadness, it was a good day to be alive and they had so much to live for. So much to be happy for and so much to love.

Earlier that day, Nat told Maggie that she would be traveling with her to Erebor because she had decided to commit to Theo. She loved him with all his heart and even though she was also terrified, she knew she had made the right choice. While they were talking, Laura announced she had decided to stay behind in Minas Tirith to live with Boromir. Even Felix had made plans for after the war and would be traveling across Middle-Earth with Legolas and Gimli. Even with Sauron’s passing, there were still places where others did his bidding and they needed to be brought to justice. Knowing that they would all be parting ways again made her a bit sad, but at the same time she knew this was the beginning of something else. 

At noon, they all stood gathered in the great courtyard of Minas Tirith. It was absolutely packed with people who wanted to partake in the coronation of the new High King of Gondor. At the beginning of their journey, Aragorn had seemed somewhat reluctant to take on his role as king, but now he was a changed man. No doubt Maggie and Riley both had something to do with that and when Nat looked over at Maggie, who stood next to Fili, she saw how proud her friend was. They all watched in quiet awe as Aragorn knelt down in front of Gandalf who gently placed the crown on his head.

"Now come the days of the King!" Gandalf called out "May they be blessed."

"This day does not belong to one man but to all," Aragorn said as he turned to the crowd "Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace."

People cheered and applauded as Aragorn walked up to greet Legolas and the other Mirkwood elves who had come to join the celebration. Legolas briefly turned to Nat and the others and when the blonde elf smiled at them, she knew exactly what it meant. Aragorn seemed altogether clueless and Nat tried to hold back a giggle. 

"He has no idea does he?" Felix whispered so that only she and Maggie could hear.

Nat saw the grin on Maggie’s face as she shook her head "None at all."

Legolas finally stepped aside and it took Aragorn a few moments until he realised that Arwen was standing in front of him. Nat realised then that they hadn’t seen each other since Rivendell and she couldn’t imagine what it was like to be without the love of your life for such a long time. Arwen was beyond beautiful in her flowing green dress and wearing a crown of starlight. Nat could swear she saw Elrond crying as she gave his daughter away to her husband. When they finally embraced in a kiss, everyone cheered again and Nat was glad to finally see them reunited. Together, they walked down the aisle and as they did everyone bowed or curtseyed in turn and when they walked up to the four hobbits, they did the same.

"My friends," Aragorn said "You bow to no one." Aragorn and Arwen bowed and as did every single other person around them. Frodo, Pippin, Sam and Merry all seem to be so flustered by it all that Nat couldn't help but to smile. Then Aragorn walked up to Her, Maggie, Felix, and Laura. Nat watched as Aragorn took Maggie's hands and looked up at her. Earlier that day, Maggie had told them she couldn't believe that this was the man who had once been little Estel, and had grown up to be king.

"And you four," he told them "I owe you my life."

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_Not terribly exciting but there’s a few more chapters to go before we wrap up this part of the story. Let me know what you think!_ **


	25. Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they all bid Riley a fond farewell....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Hi guys! It’s been a little while but a new week which means a new chapter, albeit a sad one! Thank you for sticking with the story for so long, I really appreciate it :) 
> 
> **Disclaimer:** Billy Boyd wrote "The Last Goodbye" 

**Twenty-Five**

_ Farewell _

"Eira, dear one, little one. You are so very loved." Maggie whispered as she placed her hand on her pregnant stomach  _ "Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby. And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow. Bless you with love for the road that you go."  _

"Maggie; it's time." Elrond told her.

Maggie had dreaded this moment. It had been the reason behind her recent sleepless night and no matter how much she knew it was happening, it still did not feel real. 

"No." Maggie whispered "I'm not going."

"Why not?"

"Because if I go it means I'm really saying goodbye to him. I miss him so much; I can't believe he's really gone." 

Only two days had passed since Aragorn’s coronation and so Maggie knew that this day was going to come eventually, but she had sort of put it out of her mind anyway. Of course, Maggie knew that Riley truly was dead and that there was no way of bringing him back. That’s why she didn't want to go to his funeral. A part of her couldn't help but to feel a little guilty because she had dreamt about it. Just before she found out she was pregnant with Eira, she'd had that dream in Edoras and she'd known. She just hadn't wanted to believe it. In a way, she could understand why Riley had chosen to come to Laura but still Maggie couldn't help but to wonder that if she had believed maybe she could have done something and then maybe Riley would be alive now.

"Oh my love." Elrond pulled Maggie in for a hug. Maggie was well aware that the elf-lord knew what it was like to grieve the loss of someone you loved. 

Maggie was glad and relieved that she and Elrond had managed to solve their previous quarrel and put it behind them. Having him and Fili there made it easier, but she hated the feeling of history repeating itself. She couldn’t help but fear that it was her family’s curse and something they would always have to carry with them. 

God, she hoped it wasn’t so. 

* * *

Felix hadn't slept at all that night; he'd spent countless hours tossing and turning trying to process everything but he just couldn't. His best friend had died in battle while he was still alive and breathing. It wasn't fair and Felix wasn't sure he was ever going to be able to understand or comprehend it. If there truly were gods then why were they so cruel? The worst part about it all was that in all this Felix was still angry with Riley. He could still remember the first time they'd met way back when they had been children. They'd been through so many things together and shared so many memories and it made it all hurt so much more.

"Why did you have to leave us, you bastard?" he mumbled to himself as he ran his hand through his hair. It was in the early hours of morning and the first rays of sunshine were shining through the window of his bedroom.

"God dammit!" he cursed a little louder than he'd intended.

"It is alright to cry, Felix." Legolas told him as he squeezed his shoulder. Felix knew that the blonde elf meant well and that Legolas had lost his mother thousands of years ago. To Felix though, this was different. 

"Riley was my best mate." Felix said "God, he was so stupid." He clenched his fists and dug his nails into his palm until he could feel a bit of blood trickling down. He inhaled and exhaled heavy breaths as he realised how close the funeral was and how much he was not looking forward to it.

On the outside, Felix was angry with Riley for dying but on the inside he was falling apart. 

* * *

"Are you ready?" Theo asked as he walked into the room to check on how Nat was doing. Riley's funeral was less than half an hour away and Nat wasn't sure she was going to be able to deal with it. For as long as she could remember it had always been the five of them. Not just in Middle-Earth but back in their world as well. They were as much family to Nat as her own parents and siblings were. Losing Riley felt very much like losing a brother and Nat didn't want to say goodbye to him. She couldn’t even imagine what Maggie must be going through. 

"No." Nat turned around to Theo. "But I don't have much of a choice do I? I want to be strong for Maggie and for the others. And for you, Theo - I mean, God. Riley was your uncle."

There it was again - the tears she was desperately trying to hold back. Nat covered her mouth and in the same moment she felt as though she couldn’t hold it in anymore, Theo grabbed her and pulled her close to him. He didn’t need to say anything. His presence was enough and in that moment, Nat had made up her choice about whether or not to stay in Middle-Earth when all this was over. 

* * *

"Faramir, I'm sorry I didn't realise you were there." Laura had been in her own world when she had always bumped into Faramir. When Faramir looked at her, he could tell that she had been crying; but then again that was only to be expected. After all, she had lost a close friend and that was never something easy to deal with. Faramir knew because in one way or another, they had all suffered losses in the war. His being their father, no matter how cruel Denethor had been towards the end.

"I apologise, I didn't mean to scare you." Faramir said "Are you searching for Boromir? I can point you in his direction if you like.”

Laura nodded. "Actually, I needed to get some air and think...about, well...everything."

They walked in silence through the city and there was a strange feeling in the air; like the whole of Minas Tirith was mourning. Laura felt like she had a lump in her stomach that just hurt constantly and she wasn't sure she would ever get rid of it. She knew she loved Boromir with all her heart and wanted nothing more than to be with him. The wonderful part was that she also knew her feelings were reciprocated, which was more than Laura could have hoped for, especially after all they had been through. Yet, insecurity weighed heavy on her chest and she wondered what would happen if she decided to stay in Middle-Earth. What happened to her family back home? Riley had once said that time flowed differently between the world and while 10 years could have passed in Middle-Earth, it could have been two hours in their world. It both comforted and frightened her. 

"Your friends," Faramir said after a while "They're all staying here in Middle-Earth, I hear?"

"Yeah. I mean, Maggie has the baby coming and she has the whole queen-thing to get used to. Nat and Theo are staying in Erebor too and I believe Felix is going traveling with Legolas and Gimli." Laura replied, she wasn't sure what kind of conversation she had been expecting but it wasn't that and she wasn't quite sure where Faramir was heading with it.

"What about you?" Faramir asked "What will you do?"

Silence fell between them. What would she do? She could have a happy life here in Gondor with Boromir, but she would still be far away from her friends and Gondor was so different from anything she knew. Of course, Aragorn would be here and she wouldn’t exactly be lonely, but it also wouldn’t be the same. She had a friend in Faramir too, that much she knew and she also knew that Frodo and Sam desperately wanted her to visit the Shire. Then of course there was Amandil, who no doubt would look after her as well. 

“I love your brother and I want to stay here with him.” Laura admitted “But I’m also really scared. What if I stay and things don’t work out between us? What would happen to me then?” 

Laura noticed the grin on Faramir’s face and it seemed as though he knew things that he was not letting on. 

“In all my life, I have never seen my brother love a woman the way he loves you.” Faramir said matter-of-factly, “If you choose to stay with him here in Minas Tirith, then I can assure you he will dedicate his life to making you happy here. But, whatever choice you make you have at least my support no matter what happens. I owe you that much.” 

* * *

Compared to Thorin’s funeral, Riley’s was entirely different. There were no seven days of mourning prior to the ceremony, which would have been dwarrow tradition. This was very much like the funerals Maggie had attended back home. And every bit as dreadful. e. Maggie couldn't tell how many people had gathered but it felt like all of Minas Tirith was there.. Each member of the Fellowship had said something about Riley, including Elladan and Elrohir who were there for the funeral as well. What truly broke Maggie’s heart was when she saw the remaining members of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield pay their respects to Riley, whom they viewed as a brother and an honorary dwarf. It was when it came to Merry and Pippin that Maggie couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Riley's body was rested on a neatly stacked pile of wood in the middle of the courtyard in Minas Tirith. Each of the fourteen members of the fellowship were handed torches with which they set fire to wood. They stood there, all four of them; Maggie, Nat, Felix and Laura, saying goodbye to their friend as his ashes spread with the wind.

"You know, Riley wouldn't have wanted us to be sad and cry about his death. Hell, he'd have wanted us to bring the house down." Felix said as he sat down next Nat. It was later that night and they were all sitting in the great hall. It was good in a way, to have all of them gathered in the same place after all they had been through. It made Maggie realise how much of a family they had all become and created bonds that no one would ever be able to break.

"You are right Felix," Elladan agreed "We should celebrate his life and not his departure from this world." Maggie couldn't help but to smile as she realised they were right and that that's exactly what Riley would have wanted.

Elrohir raised his jug in the air. "To Riley; there was no braver man, truer friend or more loyal brother. May he be at peace."

"To Riley!" they all said

And Maggie hoped that wherever her brother was, he was finally at peace with Bilbo where he truly belonged. 

_ Night is now falling _

_ So ends this day _

_ The road is now calling _

_ And I must away _

_ Over hill and under tree _

_ Through lands where never light has shone _

_ By silver streams that run down to the sea _

_ To these memories I will hold _

_ With your blessing I will go _

_ To turn at last to paths that lead home _

_ And though where the road then takes me _

_ I cannot tell _

_ We came all this way _

_ But now comes the day _

_ To bid you farewell _

_ I bid you all a very fond farewell _

_**To be continued ...** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_There we go! Only two more chapters left! Leave some kudos/comments please?_ **

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued….
> 
> There we go! The beginning! It was quite short and as I said if you’re wondering why it’s up so quickly, it’s because most of this was written ages ago. I’m just remastering it as my writing style has changed (hopefully for the better). Let me know what you think!
> 
> Also next chapter will be partly from Boromir's point of view. There was a lot of family stuff going on here but we'll focus a bit more on him coming up.


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